Before Its Too Late
by FordLey
Summary: The shaky bond had led her to her doom. Grunkle Stan's sacrifice took him into death's cocoon. Then even more connections are threatened to be sliced. As the scientist's mourns for the love of his life.
1. Chapter 1

**Just something I thought about when I was watching the preview to the episode "Weirdmageddon". This will be my version of how the story goes just after the end of "Dipper and Mabel Vs. the Future".**

 **Disclaimer: Gravity Falls is not mine, the show belongs to Alex Hirsch. Otherwise there would have been a Christmas in July episode.**

"Oh no," Dipper said wide-eyed in panic. He just realized that if Bill had tricked Mabel into giving him the rift, then that means he could have easily- "Mabel!"

Dipper rushes off to the forest in the direction he saw her go from the attic window earlier.

"Dipper," Ford tried to call out but the boy didn't listen. He groans and runs after him. "Dipper, wait!"

Adrenaline and fear was pumping unnaturally high within the young Pines' bloodstream. He has to find his sister. He had to find her before it was too late, if it wasn't already too late.

Dipper shook the thought out of his head. He couldn't think like that. Not at this moment. He had to keep holding onto hope that his sister is okay. He couldn't bear to live a life, apocalyptic or not, without his sister. Not matter what he thought about staying in Gravity Falls and training under Ford as his apprentice, to him Mabel was worth more than his own life.

Down a long path way, Bill was hovering over Mabel's motionless body with a thoughtful expression.

"HMM," the dream demon hummed in thought, "WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO WITH YOU." He said in a sing-song tone.

The triangle with the top hat suddenly had an idea and snapped his fingers, "OH, I KNOW!" he said like it was the most brilliant idea in the world. Bill makes what sounded like a whistling noise and down came a horned demon with blueish-black wings that contrasted with the rest of its light tanned, skinny frame.

"DO," said Bill, "AS YOU WISH. A PAWN THAT'S ALREADY DONE ITS JOB IS OF NO USE."

The demon bowed appreciatively and Bill was gone in a flash to assist the torment the rest of the screaming villagers in town. The demon trudges over to Mabel like its feet weighed a ton but the sadistic glee written all over its ugly face showed no trouble from that. It was trying to figure out what it wanted to do. It could sense how pure the child was and knew it would have so much fun with the human. First, it wanted to scare the flawless flesh.

Holding up a clawed hand it dug the pointy nail into Mabel's cheek and started dragging it down slowly. The blood oozed out easily in a thick red line.

It only got to the middle of her neck before heard a cry and a, "Stay away from my sister!"

The demon made a confused noise before looking where the voice came from only to be met with a kick in the face and knocked back from the force of Dipper's foot.

Dipper panted heavily from his run. He looks down at Mabel, most notably the bloody slash on her face. Dipper falls to his knees and holds her in his arms, lightly touching the watery blood that kept oozing out.

He averts his eyes up for a moment when he felt Ford zoom past him and Mabel and towards the demon that had hurt Mabel.

The demon tries to lunge itself at Ford but the scientist had easily subdued it. Ford took out a pocket knife, "Keep your filthy claws off my niece you dirty incubus!" and jams it into the demon's tanned neck. Demon blood spurts out of the wound as it lets out a deep, deep, throaty shriek.

Dipper gasps and quickly looks away at the violent action when he saw blood spurt out of the creature's neck. Looking down at Mabel's own blood coated cheek wasn't any better but at least he wasn't watching Ford taking action of _murder_. Demon or not, the man he looks up to attacking something out of pure rage is too scary him to even glance at. He's only twelve after all. Kids at this age aren't supposed to be in situations like this.

"Dipper!" The Pine's head shoots up when he hears his Grunkle Stan shouting to him.

Stan kneels down next to the twins, worried for his niece and nephew's safety. Another cry from the demon causes him to look up and see Ford fighting it off with holy water he took out of his trench coat. Stan squints when he thought that knife Ford was using to flick the holy water at the demon looked familiar.

"Wait a minute," he says checking his pockets, "when did he take my pocket knife?!"

Dipper didn't dare to look in either of his uncle's direction. His focus was solely on Mabel's health. Nervousness settled when he couldn't feel or hear his twin breathing. Dipper checked Mabel's pulse…but what he found had turned his own blood into ice.

Nothing. There wasn't a pulse to be felt. Mabel's heart wasn't beating and there was no breathing from her lungs.

"I had my pocket knife with me the entire-" Stan stops when he sees the shocked expression on Dipper's face. "What is it?"

Tears fell simultaneously from both of Dipper's glassy brown eyes, "She…she's…" he couldn't speak anymore. All of his emotions just poured out of him into loud sobs, hugging his lifeless twin closer to his person.

Dipper hadn't needed to continue for Stan to know what he meant, especially the bawling that followed shortly. Stan's heart felt like it was breaking in two. He holds on the girl's hand as the water works began. He joined his nephew in their grieving hugging him close with one arm to provide him some form of comfort.

Ford stabbed the demon multiple times in the chest until there was a clear opening of the black heart within and pours a small percentage of holy water into it. The demon screamed Bloody Mary as it writhed in pain and agony from the untainted liquid purifying and spreading on his insides, literally killing it inside-out.

Ford gets off of the disgusting creature with detest evident on his features watching as it died right in front of his eyes. The Author felt no regret for it. Mabel doesn't deserve a death at the hands of that thing. Mabel didn't deserve death at all. Someone like her deserves to live a long happy life. Only problem is unless they could fight off Bill's demon army she won't be able to live for long.

Sighing, Ford stuffs his hand in the pocket that held the flying saucer key ring pulls it out and grips it tightly for comfort.

The scientist felt pity and anxiety when he heard Dipper cry loudly. Turning around, he sees his brother and nephew hunched over Mabel's body that was in Dipper's arms who was in a one armed hug by Stanley.

Ford's heart had dropped into his stomach. _'No,'_ he thought miserably to himself. He slowly made his way over to the other males Pines in his family, a family that was now one member short.

Stanford drops to his knees just beside the mourning ones and takes a hold of Mabel's hand that wasn't held by his brother.

The warm droplets of water fell from his eyes as he clenches the key ring in his left hand to the point where the tissue was starting to break in his palm. He remembers the day Mabel had given it to him.

 _Flashback Initiated_

 _It was the day after Ford had come out of the portal and help drive away the government agents from the shack. Mabel was very appreciative about Ford protecting them and decided to present him a small but useful gift._

 _Ford blinked, a little caught off guard at the present Mabel dangled in front of his face._

" _I saw you had some compartments with locks on them when we were in the basement," she explains, "so I thought, 'Hey, he's gonna need a ring to keep those keys on for his research. And why not one that totally fits with it.' They were mine but you can have them. I can just take another one from the gift shop." Mabel holds up her hand to the side of her face and whispers, "Just don't tell Grunkle Stan I didn't pay for it."_

 _Ford chuckles. He takes the UFO keyring from Mabel's hand. "Thank you very much Mabel," Ford smiles warmly at her, "that's very considerate of you, thank you."_

" _Awe, don't mention," Mabel says and hugs her uncle around the waist._

 _Ford stiffens before letting loose of his war front and hugs his niece back with love he hadn't felt in over thirty years._

 _Flashback Terminated_

Ford sniffles and hiccups at the memory, his fist closing tighter on the keyring; the only evidence of their existing bond. He wished he had spent more time with her. She was a good person, and he wished that he wasn't such a meathead to get too involved with his work without savoring the moments he had with his family, even when he knew the end was near.

Suddenly, a foot had collided with his jaw, unhinging it as it sent him back a few feet. A shocked Ford puts his jaw bone back into place before looking up into Stan's murderous and sorrowful eyes.

"This is all your fault!" Stan yells, shocking Ford to a certain degree.

"My fault," Ford's voice was small at first before it got louder with anger, "you think...this is my fault? You're the one who caused this!"

"Oh yeah," Stan said mockingly, "I'm the one who caused the apocalypse. Well guess what, I'm not the one who caused Dipper to break Mabel's heart sending her to her doom!"

Dipper held on tighter to Mabel when the verbal fight broke out. His heart pounded with so many negative emotions running throughout his being and his mind. He was frightened, angry and depressed. His uneven breathing was proof of his unraveling sanity that threatened to break with every second that passed by. The pressure on his young mind from his great uncles' bickering wasn't doing any wonders for it either.

Mabel was right, he thought. They had turned stupid like they promised they wouldn't a month ago. They had become just like their uncles but at a much faster pace. And now Mabel was gone. His twin sister was never going to come back because the time she needed him, her best friend, the most to support her already fragile mental state he only made things worse by considering the thought of leaving her behind. Why did he even think about it?

"Stop!" Dipper yells at his uncles with tears running down his face. "Stop it you two! You're twins, you're twin brothers! Why are you fighting? Stop fighting!"

"YES, WHY ARE YOU TWO FIGHTING?" Bill's voice said from out of nowhere, then the dream demon appears before them tsk-ing at the older set of twins. "YOU'RE UPSETTING LITTLE PINE TREE OVER HERE."

"What do you want Bill," Ford demands, "you already got the Rift and sent the beings from your Nightmare Realm upon the world. What more do you want from us!?" Ford was angry about losing Mabel and he wasn't going to let Bill take away Stanley or Dipper.

"OH NOTHING," Bill said nonchalantly, "JUST THOUGHT THAT SINCE YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE THAT YOU MIGHT AS WELL KNOW THE TRUTH."

"Wh-w-what t-truth?" Dipper tried his best to glare at the demon through his blurry vision.

"What are you talking about," Stan gave Bill a death glare to make up for Dipper's weak one.

"THAT IT WAS ALL ME," Bill said.

Ford pinches the bridge of his nose, "Yes, we got that, we're not blind."

"NO, I MEANT _EVERYTHING,_ " Bill put much emphasis on 'everything', "FROM YOUR LIFE LONG OBSESSION FOR THE PARANORMAL TO THAT DREAM YOUR BROTHER HAD OF TWO BRIGHTLY COLORED MEN A COUPLE MONTHS BACK."

"News flash," Stan was starting to get irritated with the demon, "Mabel was responsible for that, not you."

Dipper had to raise an eyebrow at that one. How could Stan have known that? Dipper was the only one who actually interacted with Stan in his mindscape but that was just a memory. He wasn't even the real Stan, was he?

Ford was trying to figure out what Bill had meant about his passion for the paranormal. The reason why he took interest in anomalies is because of his six-fingered hands. What could Bill mean that he was the cause of it?

Ford looks down at his hands and concentrated on putting the puzzle pieces together. It took him a moment for it to click and his eyes widened in horror.

"THAT'S RIIIIIIGHT," Bill glances down at Ford wickedly, "I'M THE ONE WHO GAVE YOU THE EXTRA FINGER TO BOOST YOUR FAVOR OF ALL THINGS STRANGE. FACE IT STANFORD, YOU WERE NEVER IN CONTROL OF YOUR OWN LIFE, I WAS. THIS WHOLE TIME YOU WERE MY PAWN FROM BIRTH TO PRESENT! NOW, ISN'T THAT JUST DANDY?"

The scientist's world came crashing down. Just stared down at the extra fingers on both of this hands, now looking at them in a light he'd never dream of seeing them in. He felt so used, his heart, his very being, felt completely empty and void like his life had never meant anything.

But if he was never in control of paths he took throughout his life...did that mean...

"YES IT DOES, POINDEXTER," Bill lowers closer to the ground in front of Ford, Stanley instinctively stood in front of his brother for any needed protection, "I WAS THE ONE WHO BROKE YOUR STUPID SCIENCE PROJECT."

Shock had quickly turned to rage when Stanley started yelling, "Why you son of a-" Bill had pulled out an air-horn to censor out Stan's swear, "you'll (HONK!)-ng pay for this! I (HONG!)-ng swear you-" Bill kept his finger pressed on button until the end of the sentence.

"OH, I THINK YOU'VE SWORE ENOUGH," Bill laughs, he tosses the horn backwards disappearing before it landed in some random spot. "NOW THAT THE CAT'S OUT OF THE BAG AND HAS PLAYED WITH HIS SCRATCHING POST, I BETTER GET GOING. YOU KNOW, HUMANS TO TERRORIZE, A WORLD TO CONQUER..."

"Wait," Stan calls out to the demon and Bill just looks at him expectantly, "bring Mabel's soul back," he swallows thickly, "in exchange for mine."

"Grunkle Stan," Dipper calls out desperately.

"Stan, are you out of your-" Ford had tried to reach for his brother but Bill had put up a force field in the small space between the twins. He gasps. Bill was considering the offer. "Stanley, please don't do this!" he pounded on the force field, "Bill's a liar! He'll kill you without holding his end of the bargain. Please don't make the deal! We already lost Mabel I don't want to lose you too!"

Stan stops dead in his tracks. Ford thought that Stan had changed his mind when he turns around and walks back to him. But what little hope he had with him died at the sight of his brother's expression. It was one that said, "I'm doing this, with or without your consent."

Ford shook his head with much sorrow written on his face. It took most of Ford's will power to keep in his sobs. His face showed everything he was feeling at the moment and the main was fear and sadness.

Stan placed his hand right where Ford's was on the orange, transparent wall tilting his hand slightly so it looked like his five fingers were in between Ford's six's. Stanley looked into his brother's eyes with very much meaning and love he held for him, "It was all for you. It's always been for you, and it will always _be_ for you." His hand slowly slipped away from the other hand and then Stan strode back over to Bill.

"Stanley, no!"

"Grunkle Stan, please don't go!" Ford and Dipper's attempts to reach Stan had minimum affect on the situation as the conman was about to seal his fate, literally.

Bill looks down at the human. If the triangle demon had a face he would be smirking right now. Stanford is going to break for sure with what he's about to do next.

"WELL FEZ," started the demonic triangle, "READY TO FACE YOUR TIMELY DEMISE?" Bill holds his blue flamed hand out to Stan who just stared at it for a moment.

"When you bring her back," he says, "leave her there. No plot twists, no tricks. Just take my life for Mabel's. She stays alive until Dipper dies."

"YES, YES," Bill said getting impatient, "NOW DO WE HAVE A DEAL OR NOT?"

Stan nods slowly, moving his hand towards Bill's only hesitating for a second when he heard the desperate plea within Ford's voice when his twin called for him. His hand was engulfed in blue flames and half-cringed at how hot it felt and the sting it left on his skin.

"GOOD CHOICE FEZ," Bill praises, "AT LEAST, TO ME IT IS."

"Huh," Stan says before the flame from Bill's hand began inching up his arm and spreads to the rest of his body. A screamed ripped from his throat as he felt a burning sensation within every fiber of his being covering his entire body like a blanket of fiery torment. However, instead of burning his flesh it made him feel extremely weak. It got under his skin, feeling it tug out his spirit. The blue fire was singing his soul right out of his body, yet his suit remained untainted. Stanley falls to the ground writhing and squirming in agony. Gripping at the grass in an attempt to find something to hold on to as he endured the pain for the sake of his family.

Ford was forced to watch the scene, aghast that his brother's soul was going to burn out. He pounded harder on the force field but to no avail. More tears ran down his face as he screamed for his brother. He fell to the ground, wanting to look away from his dying twin but somehow couldn't. Ford leans against the force field and does manage to close his eyes even for just a couple of seconds. He could feel the metaphorical hands on his heart twisting and splitting it open painfully at having to listen to Stan's cries and shouts from the fire eating away at him, creating a weight of despair that filled his entire body making it feel like it was made out of lead. His own cries were kept inside his throat, choking him from the immense tightness. Stanford didn't look when he heard Mabel's voice calling out for him and Stan.

"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel screamed and tried to pry herself out of Dipper's grip but her twin refuses to let her go.

"No, Mabel," Dipper's voice cracked, "there-there's nothing we can do."

"There has to be," Mabel wiggled and almost succeeded had Dipper not landed on top of her. He hugged her to keep her restrained but also to hold her as close as he could to keep his sanity in check, to remind himself that his sister was still alive and not dead like their uncle was. "There's gotta be a wa-a-ay." Mabel started to bawl with her face in the dirt. Letting his head fall on Mabel's back, Dipper cried with her. It was hopeless.

Ford didn't respond much not even when the force field was gone. The scientist's body had been limp and fell to the ground as iF he were the one to have been killed by Bill. Bill just hovered over Ford with a mocked concern. "AWWWE, IS SOMEBODY ALL BROKEN UP INSIDE?"

No response.

"WELL, I'VE HAD MY PLEASURE FILL. WALLOW IN PITY MY PAWNS!" and with that the dream demon was gone. "I SHALL RETURN!"

Ford shakily stood on all fours. Everything was heavy. The older twin of the elder generation didn't know how much effort he used to slowly crawl towards Stan's motionless body, but he found it a miracle that he even had enough energy to do so. Ford slid his arms underneath Stan's back and pulls him close as he leans against the trunk of a tree with the empty vessel laying in his lap. One arm held his brother's shoulders while his right hand cupped one of Stan's cheeks, salt water droplets fell on his dead twin's face and neck.

The frighteningly calm expression on Stanley's face was the outcome that he's been trying to prevent all these years. All that time he's endured through so much torment, seen so much horror and has done things that would break a normal person within the first five minutes of his thirty years. Yet, the one thing that kept him sane while on the other side of the portal, despite the spite he had felt towards him, is the knowledge that his brother was safe and sound in Gravity Falls. Thinking about Stan, whether the thought be good or bad, gave him extra needed boosts of energy and will power to survive each day in the many dimensions he's been to.

Ford hung his head in shame and sorrow. His main objective was to make sure that Stanley stayed at a safe distance from the paranormal and out of harm's way (one of the reasons why Ford entrusted Dipper with information about the Rift). He's been fighting for Stan for most of his life. Now he lays dead in Ford's arms with zero chance of ever waking up. He's failed to protect his twin and there was nothing he could do about it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Had to get this finished and updated. Too tired to edit. Crappy phone on keyboard. No wifi for laptop. It's half four in the morning so this isn't worth it. But some reviews, good appropriate and REAL reviews would be nice. Enoy. I wanted to finisb this three wreks ago but s hool famliy and homework kept me aeay.**

Screams of terror carried over from the town to the forest where the Pines family lay, or sat, on the ground in despair. Not knowing what to do or even what to say, too shock about Stan's death to even think about doing anything else but cry.

Stanford Pines was completely broken. His entire body felt heavy and numb from his worst nightmares coming true to the knowledge that he was originally normal before Bill had interfered with his life. He felt like the gravitational pull of the Earth had increased by two-hundred percent and that pull was trying to drag him down to the deepest, darkest depths of hell he thought he deserved to be in. The end of the world and Stan's death had been placed over his shoulders and he wanted them off. He wanted Stanley back. His twin shouldn't have to sacrifice himself for Mabel and Mabel shouldn't have ran way into the forest.

None of this should have happened.

Ford curled into the corpse in his arms letting out everything within his heart and mind. Apologizing for everything that's happened between them and begging for him to come back even when he knew it was futile. He felt like a child pathetically wondering why their pet wasn't waking up no matter how much he shook them or yelled. A fruitless attempt to wake up someone who wasn't even there.

Ford felt something warm brush against his cheek but he was too stubborn to look up thinking it was just the wind. The caresses on his face continued when he realized the temperature was actually warmer than the summer air that day. His eyes snapped open when what felt like a hand had pressed into it. The sliver of hope that crawled up his spine ceased at the sight of a gold aura that emitted from Stan's body.

Ford gaps at it in shock and awe, knowing that this must be all that's left of his brother's soul. The wisps of the aura were mesmerizing, mystifying. It was beautiful, warm, it brought a feeling of protection over Ford he hadn't felt in a long, long time. The sense of security washed over him like the gentle waves of Glass Shard Beach, just enveloping him in love and safety. The darker side of Ford decided to jump in and ruin the moment. There's a reason this situation, and it's all his fault.

The scientist hung his head. A fresh tear fell rapidly from his right eye falling on the corpse's pale cheek.

Ford's chin was tilted upwards by the wisps to look up into the aura. A couple wisps of the aura inched very close to Ford's eyes but the man didn't pull away. Stan would never hurt him (aside from Stan having unhinged his jaw several minutes ago that contradicts it). The wisps fazed through the square-rimmed glasses and into those aging brown eyes, the owner never once flinching but feeling slightly uncomfortable at the sensation of tugging within his eye sockets.

Then something happened that Ford hadn't anticipated or expected; his point-of-view had switched into the mindscape. It was dark at first. An empty void was all he could see before flashes of images began to display in front of him at rapid speed. They were memories, his and Stan's memories. The images kept flashing one after the other until it settle on a single memory.

Everything seemed to go dark. The air was colder and the ground could no longer be felt on the scientist's dirt caked boots. He was weightless and levitated off the sandy ground of the night time beach. Ford looked down to see pre-teen versions of himself and Stanley holding each other's hands as they lie down in the sand, listening to the gentle ocean waves as they raise and crashed on the beach. Little by little, the waves would push sand and water that reached up to the twins' knees, as if the waves intended to bury the boys' legs in a sluggish progression.

Ford recalls these nights where he and Stan would sneak out of the house in the summer and go to the beach to watch the stars, listen to the ocean waves and just spending some time together. Those nights were full of serenity and peace. The scenario was also beneficial when if one of the twins were stressed or if Ford had to get rid of writer's block for a summer report the night time beach fixes it after a moment of relaxation. Ford felt the dreaded emotion of longing tugging at his heart, craving to experience the love the memory displayed in front of him.

The young Stanley suddenly sits up. He says something under his breath that cause young Stanford to sit up also, looking at the other twin with concern. Ford tried to lean closer to hear what they were saying but for some reason their voices were distant and muffled like a horrible audio recording. Ford and his brother have had many nights exactly like this one but he couldn't for the life of him remember exactly _which_ this was. He tried to observe the actions happening before his eyes and racked his brain for a memory similar to it but come up with nothing. Why couldn't he remember? Ford floats in front of the two to try and see if he could lip-read the conversation but, to his dismay, they had stopped talking and just sat there smiling at each other. The scientist frowned. This was getting frustrating.

Ford was about to give up when young Stanford kisses Stanley on the cheek causing the younger twin to blush deeply. It wasn't until young Stanford laughs at his brother's expression that it hit Ford like a ton of bricks. This was the aftermath of their very first, and only, serious fight they've ever had in their childhood. Stan had been framed by one of their bullies whom had sabotaged the class project the twins had worked so hard on and Ford didn't believe him when he said he was innocent. It was the worst three days the brothers ever had before they became teenagers and the day of the science fair happened...

But why is this being shown to him now? What was Stanley's intention in showing this? Is there something here in the memory his brother wants him to look for? Ford couldn't see anything significant in it or if Stan does want him to find that certain something he doesn't know why for.

Then something really stuck out to Ford from the memory. Two little words that had brought much courage to the both of them afterwards. Theses two words Ford read from young Stanley's lips, _"Strike back."_

Almost immediately after young Stanley had said that the scenery changed from the beach at night time to mid-day in boxing class. A fourteen-year-old Ford stood in the ring with his opponent whom was twice his size, towering over him like a predatory cat watching its prey of a mouse.

In this memory, Ford could hear better like the bell that rung to signal the beginning of the fight. Albeit muffled sounding, Ford could make out some of the words flying from everyone's mouths, including Stanley standing next to the ring who cheered on for his brother.

Ford could practically feel the pride radiating from Stanley when the memory blocked and dodged several punches and sent half as many blows to his large opponent.

 _"That's it! Keep fighting! I know you can do it!"_ Stanley screamed above all the other boxing students cheering either for the Goliath of a boxer or Ford, mainly the former for fear of the hulk of a human next to Ford.

Ford didn't have much time to contemplate when the memory faded away just to be replaced by another. Ford's breath caught in his throat when found that instead of someplace public this time it was his old bedroom.

A sixteen-year-old Stanford Pines sat at also desk across the room from the bunk shared with Stanley. The young Stanford worked on the perpetual motion machine for a couple of minutes before throwing down his screwdriver with an agitated huff causing Stanley to look up from the magazine he was reading.

"Ugh! Forget it," Young Ford groans, "I'll never be able to get this thing to work!" He lets his head fall into arms on the desk.

Unlike all the other memories Ford could hear everything pretty clearly. Nothing was all static-y or muffled.

Young Stanley got up from his bottom bunk and walks over to his twin brother to place a comforting hand on shaking shoulders.

"Come on Sixer," Stanley says reassuringly, "you're the smartest guy I know. I know you can do this."

"No I can't," Young Stanford cries into his arms.

"Wow, you're such a pessimist," Stanley grumbles. "Ford, look at me."

Stanford stubbornly shook his head. Stanley wouldn't take no for an answer so he pushes Ford back and spins the office chair until the nerd was facing his brother but with his head held down. Stanley gently took the older male's face in his hands. Stanford only looked up when the tears were wiped away from his cheeks.

"Bro, listen to me when I say you _can_ make this machine work," Stanley encouragingly. "The big brain of yours is probably just overworked. You need to take a break every couple of hours. Remember the last time you overworked yourself and was so sleep deprived you were so hungry started the collar of your own shirt?"

Stanford sniffs, chuckling, "Yeah, I suppose so."

"Now,"Stanley stands up straight, "are you hungry now? Or," he swiftly steps over the radio beside their bunk and tunes it into a classical music station before saying in a bad French accent, "would you care to dance?"

Stanford giggles, "Stanley?"

"Oh come on, Prom's almost here and we better get as much practice as we can." Stanley held out his hand for his brother to take.

Stanford hesitated. He glances back at his project before gladly accepting the offer. Almost immediately he was pressed up against his twin's muscled body with one hand interlocking in between his six fingers while the other hand slid down to the small of his back. The polydactl teen frowned.

"Why can't I be the leading partner," complains Stanford.

"Because you've got two left feet," Stanley says as a matter-of-factly, "besides we've already nest established that you'll never be the dominate one in any relationship."

Ford pouts.

Stanley laughs, "Alright, I'll let you lead tonight."

"Really?"

"Yea," Stanley shrugs, "it won't kill me. But if it does, I will come as an angry ghost just to kick your ass."

It as Stanford's turn to shrug, "Fair enough."

To his own surprise, Ford had actually began laughing. A genuine laugh mixed with tears of misery and bitter sweet feelings coiling inside of the dimension traveler's stomach. Stanley always had his back. He just wished he could have returned the favor.

Mabel had somewhat sobered up from her crying session. Dipper was still quietly sobbing into her back but she didn't dare move so she wouldn't disturb him. Mud made by her tears and dirt stuck to her face as she just lays her head on the ground.

She didn't know what to do. She was the oldest but Dipped was always the one with a plan, not Mabel. So, should she wait where they are until fate finally has it with them and gets rid of them? That actually seemed like a good plan to her at the moment.

Mabel closes her eyes. Maybe she and Dipper will sleep through their demise. That would be a peaceful way to go.

But then a golden light had pierced through her eyelids. Mabel's first thought was go ignore it but she couldn't help her curiosity. The brunette opened her eyes and gasps at the sight of the golden aura floating in front if a laughing and crying Ford.

"Dipper," she called to the twin on her back, "Dipper look!"

"I don't want to," Dipper murmurs quietly into his sister's back.

Mabel knocked him off her back and turns his head towards their great uncle. Dipper soon looks and widened as much as Mabel has, probably even wider. _What is that?_

The aura pulls out of Ford's consciousness, making sure to leave behind the three phrases inside of Ford's head.

 _Strike back._

 _Keep fighting._

 _Don't give up._

The aura of golden wisps levitated higher a higher up in the air and went in a seemingly random direction.

"YOU'LL NEVER FIND IT," Bill's voice boomed over Gravity Falls at seemingly no one. "YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO FIND IT, PAL! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Ford stands up staring up at the blood red sky. He didn't know what Bill was talking about, or to who, but he didn't care. Bill must be stopped. He looks over at the Dipper and Mabel whom got closer to him.

"Kids, we don't have much time," he says taking a couple steps towards them but staying as close to Stan's body as possible, "if we hurry we might be able to-" Ford's sentence was cut off when Dipper elbowed him in the stomach then roughly shoves the man to the ground. Mabel covers her mouth in shock.

Ford was startled at the action. The scientist looked up at the boy and all he saw in those bright brown eyes, what once shined with intelligence and innocence now blazes with fury and rage glazed with hurt and sorrow.

"This is all your fault!" Dipper yells angrily, unintentionally repeated what Stan had said. "Mabel died because of you and now Stan's sacrificed himself so he could bring her back! How do you feel now Ford? Is this suffocating to you now? Is a protective and loving sibling suffocating to you!?" Dipper breathed heavily as he continued his rant, "Stan was willing to died for us, all of us, especially you. He welcomed you home with open arms and you precede to assault him for reactivating the portal. Stan was prepared to die then and you didn't even have the decency to smile at him every now and then to show you still love him, _if_ you still love him..." Dipper's voice cracked as he broke down. Mabel pulls him into a hug and lets him cry into her shoulder.

He finally understood Stan's pain in loosing a twin. If Ford couldn't see that bonds with loved ones is more important than the end of the world, then he didn't want to be anywhere near him.

Ford was dumbstruck. He had just lost his nephew's trust and didn't know what it will take to get it back. But he'll be damned if he wasn't the slightest guilty about what Dipper said. While Ford was mad at Stan for reactivating the portal he panicked and didn't how to react at that moment. After all, Stan didn't know exactly _what_ the consequences were for starting up the portal again, he most likely didn't read the warnings or pay much heed to it. The former seems more likely to Ford.

Dipper had sobered up rather quickly and pulled away just enough to see his twin's face, "Come on Mabel, let's go figure out what to do about this," Dipper casted his eyes towards Ford in a sardonic glare, "together," he said as if cruelly mocking his uncle that his relationship with Mabel is better then the one Ford has, or had, with Stan.

Dipper grabs Mabel's hand and starts to lead her away when she said, "Wait, what about Blendin?"

"What," he looks at her confused, "he's here?"

"Yeah," Mabel nods and points behind her with her thumb, "he's over there on the ground."

Dipper looks behind Mabel and surely enough the time traveler was unconscious beside a group of pine trees.

"Oh," Dipper chuckles, half-empty half-sheepishly. "I didn't notice him what with us being on an emotional roller coaster all day."

"Woah," Blendin moaned in displeasure. He sat up weakly while rubbing at his pounding head, "I'm never gonna drink again."

"Blendin," Dipper called as he and Mabel rushed towards him, "are you okay?" he said picking up the large man's goggles from the ground and handed it to him.

"Ye-yeah," the time traveler accepted his goggles and clumsily puts them back on, "I-I thi-think so."

Mabel sighs in relief, "That's good, now I know I can do this." Mabel suddenly slaps Blendin hard across the face startling both Blendin and Dipper.

"What the heck is wrong with you!?" Mabel had yelled loudly and made Ford flinch from the anger that could be felt within a mile radius from the girl. "Don't you know who Bill Cipher is?! How could you have made a deal with a demon! And for what? What could you have possibly wanted from _Bill_?"

"Owe," Blendin groans clutching his head in his hands, "Mabel, please not too loud."

Instantly feeling empathy, Mabel's expression softens slightly when Blendin whimpered at the pain in his head but she still kept herself stern, still wanting an explanation.

"Blendin," Dipper questioned, quieter than Mabel was, "what happened?"

"G-geez, I don't know," Blendin said as Dipper and Mabel helped him up. The time traveler swayed under his buckled knees until he leans against the tree nearest to him. "Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick."

Ford had pulled his brother's body closer to the other three so he could keep a better eye on it. He didn't want any woodland/paranormal creatures feasting on it for dinner. Stan deserves a funeral, not a memorial service, especially after the bravery he's shown.

The author of the journals looks over at the time traveler whom tried to catch his breath he somehow lost while leaning against the tree. He looked at the other man with much curiosity. It seems that Dipper and Mabel have had adventures with characters that came from outside of Gravity Falls. Ford never had to do that with the eight years he's lived in this town.

"You're a time traveler," Ford asks, lowly, despite knowing the answer is an affirmative.

Blendin took deep breaths to calm his stomach that wanted to heave whatever was in it before answering, "Yes...I-I am."

"I should probably introduce you to each other," Mabel started the introduction, "Blendin, this is our other Great uncle Ford. Great uncle Ford, this is Blendin Blandin."

"Nice to meet you, say do you have any Advil or Tylenol on you," Blendin asks, looking at the trench coat and the many pockets he spied that were on the inside. He whines loudly when Ford shook his head no.

"Man Blendin, what did you do to get like this," Dipper stood in front of Ford interrupting the scientist before he could say anything else.

Blendin sighs deeply. His large, shaky hand reaches form behind himself to bring up a brown glass bottle that evidently had the label torn off of it. There was some liquid in the glass bottle that only filled up to a quarter of the bottle's mass occasionally swishing within Blendin's weak yet vigor hands. "I-I-I was having a stressful day," he began to explain, "I was just going to get one drink at some place when this guy came up to me. He showed me this," he shook the bottle for emphasis, "he gave me a free sample of it, but everything after the first shot is a complete blur."

"Let me see that bottle," Blendin gave Ford the bottle and Ford examines the glass containment of life taking fluids. The label, as he observed before, was missing and there doesn't seem to be anything significant about it. He looks inside the bottle inhales lightly then gags at the smell of a familiar mixture he's had been unfortunate enough to come in contact with in the first place.

Mabel paid close attention to Ford when he gagged. "What's wrong? Do you know what it is?"

"Yes," Ford replies "and this is dangerous mix of every single adult beverage known to man! What were you thinking?"

"I-I didn't-I didn't know what it was," Blendin stuttered, "the rabel-I mean-the label was already missing when it was given to me...I think."

"Ford, how do you even know what it is," Dipper quizzes with his arms crossed.

"I was unlucky enough one day to find one of these on the other side of the portal," Ford answers, "it has a very distinct smell and is highly dangerous to anything that breathes. Honestly, I'm surprised your friend here is managing to stand himself up against that tree. I've seen what this toxic mixture does to people and apparently Blendin really only had that one drink for if he had consumed anymore he'd most likely be in a coma, pass out for an entire day or die shortly after consumption."

Mabel and Dipper cringed while Blendin was dry heaving behind the tree at the thought of the side-effects happening to him.

The moment ended with a bright fuchsia light emitting from behind the four. Turning around, Grunkle Stan's body glowed that pinkish purple color as it levitated from the ground. Ford called out his brother's name when an orb formed around it chaining the orb closed with gigantic chains pulled together with a lock that matched it size. The image of Stan's fez glows brightly on the orb before it raises up higher and higher into the sky until disappeared behind the rows of pine trees. With renewed determination, Ford turns to Blendin and orders him to get the Time Police.

"And while you're at it," he added, "get something for your stomach before you throw _it_ up."

"Rodger that," the time traveler salutes. Blendin turns the dial on his wrist watch to take him back to the future to carry out the command.

"Now, kids," Ford turns towards the kids, "we need to head back home. There is something I need to get there that we need to defeat Bill."

"Oh yeah," Dipper said bitterly, arms still crossed as he stared hard at Ford, "why should I listen to you now?"

"Dipper, this isn't the time to hold grudges! We need to-" Ford paused at the sight and sound of the mythical creatures of the forest running away screaming from a weirdness wave towering over the forest like huge, pink ocean wave waiting to devour and change everything it landed on from normal to something weird and bizarre around the forest ground, "RUN!"

Dipper didn't need any convincing this time. He grabbed his sister's hand and followed shortly after their great uncle. More adrenaline pumped through their veins at the fear of being hit by that mystic wave of strange. The young pair of twins fought to keep up and most importantly sped up their pacing. By the time they got to the shack their pulses had moved to their skulls, their lungs hurt, their throats were dry and desperately needed some water. But they were almost there. Ford had just zoomed into the doorway and stops, looking back at his niece and nephew waving his hand urgently for them to hurry up.

Tired and gasping for breath, Mabel looks over her shoulder at the weirdness wave and then at Dipper. He was a few paces ahead of her practically having to drag his twin from the connection made by their hands. Dipper is going to have to go on without her, she thought.

Dipper felt relief after finally making it to the front porch only to have it replace with confused fear when Mabel had pushed him into Ford, making them both tumble to the floor, before shutting the door closed behind them.

"Mabel!" The twelve-year-old twin hurriedly gets off of the man he formally respected and throws open the door to find Mabel was gone. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he calls out pleadingly for his twin sister, "Mabel! Mabel, can you hear me? Mabel!?" his breathing became heavier when no response was given. "MABE-mpf!"

Ford had covered Dipper's mouth and pulls him inside when an unfamiliar creature started passing by. Back pressed against the door, he waited for what may happen next. The six-fingered hand stayed over the boy's mouth no matter how much Dipper struggled or the amount of spit he oozed out from between his lips. Dipper stops, however, when he heard heavy steps of large feet against the ground outside. The footsteps had gotten closer to the shack paused for a moment and then went in an unknown direction, away from Ford and Dipper's hiding place.

The hand was finally off Dipper's face and he lets out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. His heart hammering in his little chest, the child genius was quiet for a moment. It probably wasn't wise to randomly shout during the apocalypse but he couldn't help it. He was worried about Mabel.

Ford wipes his spit covered hand on his trench coat. The scientist kneels down so he was at eye level with the boy who refused to look at him.

"Dipper," Ford said as gently as he could. No answer, "look at me, please."

 _Please._ Mabel was always a fan of manners.

Dipper slowly averts his red eyes at the man with a hard gaze that should never be on a face as young as his.

"There's an experiment I have in the basement that can defeat Bill," Ford said, "I'm going to get that and the journals. I want you to quickly go pack up a few supplies for yourself in case something goes wrong."

"...Mabel's out there somewhere..." Dipper said in a sad tone.

"Dipper," Ford's tone was stern but not too stern, "no matter how bad a situation may seem you have to stay positive. This is Weirdmageddon. There could have been a butterfly on Mabel's back and the weirdness wave had turned her into a humanoid monarch and she flew to a safe place somewhere away from danger. But we can't help her if Bill is still alive to wreak Weirdmageddon to the rest of the world. Now are you with me or not?"

Dipper switched from looking at Ford to the floor in thought. He was hesitant. Why wouldn't he be? After all that's happened he wasn't so sure about trusting Ford anymore. But he has no choice but _to_ trust him. Mabel is more important than any agenda or feelings he's ever had towards anyone or anything.

Dipper huffs, "Fine." He goes upstairs to get the backpack his sister unintentionally left earlier.

Ford headed down to the basement to retrieve experiment #618 and all three journals. To make it easier on himself, he tucked the journal number on inside of his coat pocket. He picked up the other two journals but clumsily drops them in an uncharacteristic manner. Sighing, he bends down to pick it up when he realizes journal 3 had opened to the first page Dipper had filled out.

Ford had seen Dipper's additions to the journal but he mainly focused on the extra notes taken on pages Ford himself had done. He never really paid attention to the one's after those. The dimension traveler got down on his knees as he found himself reading the entry.

" _This journal told me there was nobody in Gravity Falls I could trust. But when you battle a hundred gnomes side-by-side with someone, you realize that they've probably always got your back."_

Ford knew Dipper was talking about Mabel. Dipper has told him about their first encounter with the paranormal in Gravity Falls was with the colony of gnomes that wanted to make Mabel their queen. Those gnomes were waaay in over there pointy-hatted heads.

Gnomes aside, Dipper's first entry included his twin, was basically about Mabel. So did the rest of Dipper's entries at the back of the journal. Everything from the Gobblewonker to even dinosaurs. There was even an entry about manotaurs but Ford thanked the heavens that Mabel wasn't anywhere near them. Cause if he found out a manotaur had even glanced at Mabel he woukd personally hunt them down for sport.

Eventually, Ford had found an entry that wasn't written by Dipper, unless he ran out of regular colored ink pens and had to use a pink which completely doubted, but rather by Mabel. So be honest, Ford never thought that Mabel would even think about writing in one of his journals. Mabel came off as more the adventure type instead of one to do research which is why he found himsel curious about what she had written.

 _Hey-o! Mabel here! Enough with all of this nerd stuff-_ Ah, there we go, Ford thought to himself, there's the adventress, - _why don't I tell you about the interesting stuff. Not that nothing in this book isn't interesting but my brother Dipper and the author of this journal have a tendency to go on and on about details I don't care about! *sighs*_

 _But anyways...actually I don't know what to put down here. I'm just winging this. Well, maybe except gnomes make surprisingly good dates...demons are sneakier than you would think...doh! I can't think! My mind is stuck on a gosh dang it demon butler and his cute little British master/contractor!_

 _Oh well, I'll try again later._

 _Oh, Author of the journals? If for whatever reason you're reading this in the future, I just wanted to say thank you for writing this book. Dipper and I would have been so blind the mysteries of this town without it. It also helped us make, find and escape any adventures we find ourselves in. Despite how boring some of it gets I do understand most of what you say-er- write._

 _Dipper always dreams of meeting you and, while not on my list of top priorities, I would like to meet you too. And if the cover of your book means anything it would be so cool if you have six fingers. Its abnormal on the side of normal with a touch of awesome! Its very much more unique than my...four? Wait. Grunkle Stan has five fingers, Dipper and I have four and you have six? Was Old Man McGucket right when he said we're all just made up by a single man on a sheet of paper?! Are we all just a cartoon?!_

 _Well, now that that's out I think I'm going to go find dipper so we can give Grunkle Stan a well deserved scare prank. Nothing major, just the kind that would give him an almost but not really heart attack. Its what he gets for not being polite..._

 _Mabel out,_

 _PEACE!_

Ford was touched that Mabel would try to contact him through the journal and thank him for writing it. While Dipper admires Ford for his intelligence he had never thanked him like Mabel had done.

The scientist pulls out the UFO keyring from his pocket. The plastic was partially caked with dry blood, most likely from him clutching on it so hard earlier and the demon blood that was on his hands. Ford pushes the top of the itty bitty spacecraft and it made a UFO noise in response.

Ford wanted to find Mabel as much as Dipper did, but Bill has to be taken down. If they had any chance of survival-

"Ahem," Dipper cleared his throat from where he stood in the elevator doorway to get the man's attention. "Are we going to go now or are you just going to sit there with nostalgia for company? Cause I'm not staying either way."

Ford looks from Dipper to the journals, sighs and then gets up to recollect the books and grabs the weapon. The could-have-been master and apprentice stood in awkward silence with Dipper seething and Ford feeling guilty.


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally! After a few months this chapter is finished! I'm not too confident about some of the content in here but...well, it's an update. Might as well read it. Enjoy mortals!**

Ford led the way through debris, destruction and diabolical monsters with Dipper following close behind him. Destination of their trek through the city was the bell at the top of the church. It was one of the few high buildings in town and also the closest to where Bill was intimidating the townspeople and introducing them to his "friends" from the Nightmare Realm.

On the way there, Dipper had put in some pink earbuds and turned on the equally pink MP3 player. He had taken few things from Mabel's side of the room that was either in his backpack or on himself. The pink sweater with the shooting star on the front, that Mabel had worn at the beginning of summer, was wrapped around his waist with the shooting star facing the forward. Dipper pockets the MP3 player in his vest. He stops momentarily at the lyrics that plays through the earbuds. The pre-teen takes out the MP3 player to look at the song title. He's surprised it wasn't Sev'ral Timez or some other band similar to that but rather a rock song from a Christian band. Not only that, but the first, the very first, song that plays contains one of Mabel's commonly said phrases, which was, "Hey-o!"

Ford had noticed Dipper's hesitation and turns back to look at his nephew. "Dipper, what is it?"

Dipper was a tad disappointed that the earbuds did nothing to block out Ford's voice but he guess it was necessary since it _was_ the end of the world. He needed his hearing to listen out for anything suspicious or dangerous.

"Nothing," he continues to strode beside Ford, staying some distance away from him and close enough to the buildings in case either of them needed to hide inside or behind corners of alleyways.

They stayed quiet for a few minutes. The two could hear Bill's monologue. The dream demon's already booming voice got even louder as the two drew nearer. Other than that, there was an awkward silence Ford felt he needed break.

"What are you listening to," the scientist asked.

""Courtesy Call"," Dipper said plainly.

"Oh," that did almost nothing to answer Ford's question. But the man couldn't find it in himself to press on anymore questions. He wanted to make Dipper feel more comfortable around him again but any variables he could think of at the moment wouldn't work nor were they even possible. Ford opens his mouth to say something else but closes it. It may be best if he kept his mouth shut in the meantime.

Dipper wasn't looking where he was going and had stepped on a rat-bat mutant's tail. The rat-bat screeched at Dipper trying to snap at his ankles for disrupting its slumber on the sidewalk. Dipper yelps in fright, hopping onto a bench as Ford instantly pulled out his gun and blasted it to smithereens. The creatures guts splattered all over the pavement leaving a greenish-yellow spot on the sidewalk.

"You okay," Ford asked Dipper who nodded in response. "Did it bite you?" The boy shakes his head 'no'. Ford sighs in relief, "That's good. Come on, the church is just a couple more blocks away."

Dipper jumps down from the bench. They made it to a mailbox which they ducked behind when they found a few more mutated monstrosities hovered around the entrance of the church. They sounded like they were complaining about something but they spoke in another language that Ford could only pick up the useless bits and pieces of the conversation. One of the things Ford had hated the most about dimension traveling is how the languages won't always stay the same in other worlds. He has been to multiple nightmare realms and the native tongues were similar but not quite.

Ford taps Dipper's shoulder to get his attention. He made hand signals to tell him they needed a distraction of some sort to pull the monsters' attention away just long enough for them to enter the building.

After scanning their surroundings for a moment Dipper had an idea. Dipper took off his backpack pulled something out of it and threw it front of the monsters but a little ways away from the church's entrance. When he saw they were taking the bait, Ford and Dipper rushed towards front door in the building and up the stairs.

Halfway up, Ford asks Dipper, "What exactly did you throw at them?"

"The world's most Distracting Object," when they made it to the top floor Dipper pulls out another one from his backpack, "unlike all the other cheap junk Stan has in the gift shop, this one's actually true to its name."

Ford snickers off handedly, "Oh please, that's just a simple method of hypnotism where the swirly motions...just..." the man lost his train as Dipper spun the souvenir. "Wh-what was I talking about?"

Dipper smirks triumphantly. However, his little victory didn't last for long after the piece of merch was finished spinning and the scientist resumes his task, setting down the big case on the creaky wooden floors and the contempt that momentarily left had come back with as much rage as before.

How stubborn could his grunkles be? Stan didn't have to die. He was a good man. Okay, the word "good" may not be the correct term to use in describing Stan, but his intentions to protect the ones he loves the most are. He can, and has, gone to the extreme for his family. The bandages the man had kept on his hand for some time, that Dipper knew had to been from an injury from the portal, and trading his own life for Mabel's was proof of it.

Dipper pulls out the earbuds from his ears. "You know what I just realized?" He says to Ford but he doesn't give the man a chance to reply, "I'm nothing like you."

An empty feeling settled in Ford's stomach as his hand pauses at the clasp of the weapon's case. "What do you mean?" He didn't turn around knowing his nephew wouldn't want to see his face at the moment. At the same time, he didn't want to face Dipper either, but with a different, more depressing, emotion than the twelve-year-old's.

"What I mean is," Dipper looks at his back with a scowl on his face, "I may share some traits with you personality wise, but character wise? I realize I have more of Stan in me than I first thought. For the past summer, more than once, I have given up everything I cared about and built up for myself for Mabel just because she asked me to. I've had to throw away everything in my hands for her just as Stan had done for you his entire life. And you know what? I'm glad I'm more like Stan. I'd rather go down a path where I know how to keep my family instead of how to loose them. Not like family even matters to you since your _precious_ school didn't accept you. You didn't even deserve it after you passed the moment to stand up for your brother for his low academic intelligence after seventeen years of protecting and standing up for you and your dumb polydactylism. Pft, karma right? Even though Bill was behind it all, you had it coming for you."

Ford had hung his head and hugged himself to hold back his tremors. He shifted from his kneeling position so he was sitting on the floor criss-crossed. If this was Stan he probably would have overreacted and a tussle would have been the outcome. But this was Dipper, a twelve-year-old whose options about him mattered a lot. Just this morning the kid idolized him, worshipped him if Dipper's excited screams when he mentioned the journals in his flashback story upon arrival was anything to go by, now the boy just stood there glaring at him in a way that reminded Ford of Stanley. Antagonized and berated, it was more or less of a wake up call for him. Having to look at a reflection at himself only for it to quickly turn into his brother.

"You're right," the scientist's voice was soft and quiet to the point where Dipper almost didn't catch what he said. "I was-am-selfish."

Satisfaction strangely washed over Dipper at Ford's admittance. He crossed his arms over his chest in triumph. The boy was glad that he had gotten through the man's stubborn barrier for Grunkle Stan. It was about high-time he had realized how wrong he was.

Ford looked down at the six-fingers on his hands, the inspiration for his love of the paranormal and the bizarre had come from the extra fingers on the ends of each of his hands. His pinkies which weren't meant to be his pinkies and didn't really had a specific name for them. Stan once tried to call them "Sixies" or something else like that but the brothers have never really needed to use the names in their childhood. Come to think of it, Stan was the one who loved them the most. Other people whom had paid any attention to his sixth fingers, even their father sometimes, would scorn him with disgust while Stanley...he would hold them carefully and, when in private, give the fingers a tender kiss just to bring a smile or blush to Ford's face, mainly just to embarrass his brother but it still held a lot of meaning for the nerd.

Ironic. The thing that Stanley Pines cherishes the most is what sends him to his fate.

This thought created waves of anger and frustration to surge throughout his body. He was mad at what made him him, at _who_ he was. How inconsiderate he was of the people he was closest to in reality when he was stuck in his own little fantasy of anomalies and the abnormal. When all of that stuff should be dropped in a heartbeat at the first sight of distress involving with his loved ones, mainly Stanley. But that wasn't who he was, and who he was isn't what he wanted to be. Because of Bill, because of his stubbornness. And it was just agitating!

Ford huffs through his scrunched up nose grips his right sixth finger in his left. "If it weren't for these damned fingers!" He cursed loudly.

Dipper was taken aback at the outburst. The young Pines was nearly afraid that Ford would break off the appendages until the man took a deep breath and limps slightly to the bell tower floor.

"I messed up," Stanford choked out in a broken voice as he confessed, "I always blamed Stanley for ruining my life when in reality...I'm the one who screwed it up. He- you and Stan- are right. I was the one who ruined his life, both of our lives. All because I was born a freak! A selfish freak!"

Ford brought his knees to his chest and started to bawl again. It was his fault, he was the inconsiderate freak. Thinking back, he wonders how things would have turned out if he just listened to Stan that night their father kicked him out of the house for ruining Ford's project, even though the man's main concern was the potential money Ford would have made from West Coast Tech. But wondering won't change anything. He'll never see the goofy smile on his brother's face again.

It's all his fault.

Dipper hadn't meant to make his uncle cry, he just wanted to get his point across. His hard expression softens to several degrees. Dipper closed the distance between him and Ford's back to place his small hand on the man's trembling shoulder. "Hey, you've made mistakes, even more so than other people would have, but...I think we'll make it, somehow. Stan would want us to try and move on. He would also want us to defeat Bill asap. To avenge him with our victory over that S-O-B of a triangle."

Ford switched from hugging his knees to Dipper's waist and brings him even closer as he cried into the boy's peach colored shirt. Dipper was startled at first from the abrupt action but eventually hugged him back, rubbing the man's back for comfort, until the scientist was finished and pulls away wiping at his eyes.

"Dipper, I know the mistakes I've made could never be fixed, especially now that Stanley's gone, but I want to do for you and Mabel what I should have done for Stan. I'm going to get my head out of the gutter, stand up and protect you kids with my life. And if we make it through this," Ford takes out the flying saucer keyring, the blood crusting on it came of slightly in little crumbles when brushed against, "I will spend my time out of the basement and out of my shell to love and cherish the days I have with you and Mabel. That, I promise."

" _If_ we all make it out alive," Dipper shrugs, smiling, "I'll take it."

Ford smiles back, feeling good knowing that he's at least rebuilt a walk-able bridge of his relationship with Dipper. Ford gives his nephew one more hug before letting go.

"Sooo," Ford drags out as he opened the case for experiment #618, wondering if he should continue with his sentence or not.

"Just because I pitied you and consider you a part of _my_ family again," Dipper said as if he read the older Pines' mind, "that doesn't mean you've regained my respect for you. Nor does it mean that becoming your apprentice is back on the table either."

The glasses wearing man sighs, "I figured." He picks up the weapon and slings the heavy device over his shoulder.

"What is that thing anyways?" Dipper asks curiously.

"Its a quantum destabilizer. One of the few things that can defeat Bill at this point," Ford answers as he peeks into the triangular view-finder and tried to get a perfect manual lock on the dream demon.

Just when Ford had Bill perfectly aligned with his view finder a weirdness wave unexpectedly went over the church. The bell came to life and yelled, "I'M ALIVE!" startling Ford and causing him to miss, hitting and creating a hole in the fourth-dimensional being's top hat (which very oddly showed muscle and flesh inside his top hat) regenerating shortly afterwards. Bill turns sees them and then blasts the church's bell tower to shambles. Dipper made it with only a few scratches and bruises but Ford wasn't so lucky. He was trapped underneath a couple of support beams that had collapsed onto his back.

"Oh no, Great Uncle Ford!" Dipper yelled in panic, afraid of how hurt his relative must be at the moment. Granted he was still mad at him but he'd never wish for pain upon his uncle.

Ford lifts up his head and looks to Dipper, "Dipper, you can still stop him. I know his weakness-"

"Seriously!? You couldn't have told me what it was _before_ we got here?!" Dipper yells but Ford proceeds as if he hadn't spoke at all.

"-his weakness is-" the scientist hears Bill coming up to what remained of the bell tower. "Take the journals! Go! He's coming!"

Reluctant to leave, Dipper does what he's told. He takes the satchel containing the journals and dashes down the stairs so Bill wouldn't see him. The boy could hear Bill's booming voice as he spoke to Ford through the rock cemented walls as he descended down the staircase.

A ball of frustrated anger bounced around his head until it fell and got stuck in the pit of his stomach. Another vital piece of information Ford had kept from the rest of his family that could end/prevent the apocalypse. For a scientist with twelve Phds he's pretty dumb and naive. And that's coming from a twelve-year-old. If only Ford had thought about the pros and cons of his actions including other variables that could have benefited the situation with the rift. If only Ford would think about his family for more than five seconds. Yes, Dipper understood that he was trying to protect them, like Stan had for half the summer, and to save their sanity but he was doing it wrong, all too wrong.

By the time Dipper made it down the stairs he could hear Ford conversing with Bill outside the building. Ford's words were muffled by the stone walls, unlike Bill's whose voice can break through vibranium alloy, until the boy exits the building. He ducks behind the rubble that used to be high up in the sky containing the giant bell Dipper has hardly ever heard rung, watching the scene as Ford fiercely refuse the offer to join Bill's group of "freaks".

"WELL, I HAVE A RIDDLE FOR YOU. WHY DID THE OLD MAN DO "THIS"?" Bill asks holding up his hands with his fingers curved down.

"What?" Confounded, Ford imitated Bill to see what the fourth dimensional being was talking about, "This?" Just as soon as the scientist was in that position Bill shot him with a beam to turn him into a solid gold statue. Dipper gasps in shock from his hiding place.

"BECAUSE I NEEDED A NEW BACKSCRATCHER," Bill proclaims, picking up his human-turned-gold pawn to scratch his back. Bill's fourth dimensional buddies laughed with him.

Dipper couldn't help the tremors that wracked his body as his mental strength to contain his anger began to slip away. His face flushed and his heart hammers against his chest, beating to jump out and strangle that dumb triangle if he had a neck.

This is a serious situation and Bill is just-just...

Dipper growls. He couldn't even think of a word for how silly Bill acts, and not the fun kind.

"That's enough, Bill!" Dipper screams, jumping out in the open from his hiding place. Everyone, and everything, turns to look at him.

"WELL, ISN'T THIS **INTERESTING** , MY OLD PUPPET HAS COME BACK FOR AN ENCO-"

"Can it illuminati Dorito," Dipper snaps.

Bill blinks, "WOW, LOOK HOW ORIGINAL YOU ARE," he sarcastically says, crossing his arms over the other. "NO ONE LIKES A COPYCAT PINE TREE."

"I don't care," Dipper retorts, "now give me back my uncle."

There was a short pause before Bill began cackling, and the demons behind him follow suit, some not getting why but didn't want to be left out. Dipper glares at them, his small hands balled into fists as he clenches down so hard on his teeth a small part of him was afraid of chipping them in doing so.

Bill stops his happy spasms and floats down to Dipper shrinking down to human size as he got closer and closer towards the preteen, "OH PINE TREE, YOU WORRY ME SOMETIMES."

The triangular demon tried to put his arm around Dipper's shoulders but the human backs away to prevent physical contact all the while eyeing Bill with exasperation and suspicion. "What are you talking about Bill? You don't feel sympathy."

"MAYBE SO, BUT EVEN A MENTALLY DISABLED PERSON WOULD CONTEMPLATE ABOUT YOUR STUBBORNNESS," Dipper raises a brow at this. While the boy will admit he was kind of stubborn, but wondered where was Bill going with this. "WHY WOULD YOU WANT HIM BACK AFTER EVERYTHING HE'S DONE. AFTER EVERYTHING'S THAT HAPPENED?"

"Because he's family," answers Dipper. "And I trust him."

"PFFFT," Bill scoffs crossing his arms over, "FEZ WAS SIX-FINGER'S FAMILY, HIS TWIN BROTHER _,_ YET LOOK AT WHERE HE IS NOW! FIGURATIVELY THAT IS, ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO THAT NOW BECAUSE-YOU KNOW."

"That's-that's not Ford's fault," Dipper defended but he had his sliver of doubt, even if their relationship was steady enough for trust, "you're the one who took his soul."

"TOOK? HE WILLINGLY GAVE UP HIS LIFE TO SAVE YOUR SISTER," Bill says."THAT'S ACTUALLY A PROBLEM HE HAS. ALL YOUR UNCLE DID WAS GIVE AND GIVE AND KEPT ON GIVING OUT HIS HEART AND SOUL TO THE ONE HE LOVED THE MOST. STANFORD PINES, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS GREEDY, SELFISH AND UNAPPRETIATIVE. ALL HE EVER DID WAS TAKE, TAKE, TAKE WITHOUT GIVING ANYTHING IN RETURN. IN FACT, HE NEVER EVEN THANKED _ME_ FOR THE KNOWLEDGE I GAVE HIM TO BUILD THAT STINKIN' PORTAL, EVEN WHEN HE STILL CONSIDERED ME HIS FRIEND, I RECEIVED NO WORDS OF APPRECIATION."

Dipper strains to keep his expression hard and to hold his stubborn card as high as he could, but he was faltering. Everything the demon overlord said was true. Ford never even thanked Stan for bringing him back from the portal either. He acted selfishly, he always kept everything to himself, including vital information that could a avoided all of 'this'. Except...

"Yeah, but...you're the one who put him on that path," the reply was meek and almost desperate. Dipper hugs the satchel with the journals in it close to his chest in hopes it would bring him some security and strength and chase away the sadness that fluttered in his chest.

"YES, YES I DID," Cypher floats closer to Dipper, "BUT I WASN'T IN CONTROL OF THE _ACTIONS_ HE TOOK WHILE ON THAT ROAD. THE SECRETS, THE PARANOIA, THE LACK OF FAITH IN HIS FAMILY MEMBERS, THE LACK OF FAITH IN _YOU._ THAT WAS ALL HIM, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT STANFORD FILBRICK PINES WITH ZERO PERCENT OF ME."

He couldn't take it anymore, Dipper spins around away from Bill and he lets the tears begin their descend down his cheeks.

"He said he trusted me," the boy choked out, "he trusted me and not his own brother...how? W-why? Why didn't he trust Stan?"

Dipper knew why but he didn't want to say it aloud. Before he reminded himself about the cause of Weirdmageddon just to give him a boost of energy that follows after the rage fills his entire being, but now...he feels weak; drained; depressed.

He was loosing his sanity with all the events that's happened today. From the alien spaceship to holding his lifeless sister in his arms Dipper surprised himself that he was actually able to think straight. Well, as straight as he could think with the decision of trusting a second-dimensional being or the man he once admired for his intelligence.

Dipper hangs his head, "What should I do now?" He tried to keep his sobs minimal but to no avail. The weight of today's events sat heavily on his shoulders bringing him down to the ground until he sat on his knees, curling into the satchel of journals in his arms.

A pair of hands were placed upon thin shoulders. Dipper looks up and sees Bill standing, _standing_ , in front of him. The triangle's single eye gazes down at him with an emotion that Dipper couldn't read. It wasn't like anything the boy had ever seen on the demon's face(?). Bill's expression was soft and held no malevolence as far as he can see with his tear-blurred vision. Bill's hands moved up from the boy's shoulders to cup flushed cheeks, wiping away the fresh batch of tears.

"Pine Tree," the said human inhales sharply in shock. Bill wasn't in his loud, booming like he was second ago, "I want you as my second in command."

Dipper's eyes grew impossibly wide, "What? But-but, why would-"

"Look, I know you've been through a lot today," Bill struggled to keep his voice low and gentle for Dipper, "and you're emotionally torn up inside, but I can help you if you let me. And I want you as my second in command because you have so much potential, you don't have to waste it on a trail already taken by a failure." Bill slides his right hand from Dipper's cheek and pushed up the brown curls to show dotted birthmark on Dipper's forehead. "Not just that, but as my SIC you can wear your birthmark in the open with pride instead of fear and embarrassment. I don't understand how a mere birthmark can label someone as a freak, but I know that's how you feel."

"And just think about it," the demon continues as he removes his hand from Dipper's hair, "a human twelve-year-old boy, the right hand man to a demon overlord? That's a position I know thousands would kill for. Now what do ya say, Gable?"

Dipper gasps, pulling away from Bill and covering his mouth with his hand. He doesn't remember the last time someone had used his real name so it came as a shock that Bill would use it (it was still unbelievable that Bill spoke so softly to him for this long, or for any amount of time at all for that matter).

"I-I," Dipper began to stutter like Blendin Blandin, "I don-I don't know. I just don't know."

"Then I'll tell you," Bill said encouragingly, "so you won't be confused. I'll even explain why your sister was willing to date someone with a name similar to her sibling. Seriously, that would have been one awkward night of texting. " _Hey Gaby Baby, I've got a special surprise for you tomorrow night, semi-colon parenthesis." "Eight parenthesis, Excuse me?"_

Dipper couldn't help contain a laugh he oh so desperately needed on this crazy day.

Seeing the opportunity, Bill holds his hand out like he does he makes a deal with a mortal, but this time he refrains from emitting his usual blue flames through the appendage. The triangle stayed quiet, patiently waiting for the human boy to make the right choice.

For a moment, Dipper just stared at the pitch black hand, up at the gold imprisoned Ford leaning against a tossed over car and then back at Bill's hand. He didn't want to be alone anymore. He wanted someone he knew he could trust. The thought of not knowing where his sister was during the apocalypse made him feel sick to his stomach but Bill can take away the sickness and worry because he knows where Mabel is. And he'd do anything to have her back by his side.

With his decision made, Dipper slowly lifts his free hand and to reaches towards Bill's. His hand was slow from his already low energy levels but made some progress with each passing second.

However, just as their hands made the slightest of contact Dipper heard someone call his name. It took him by surprise. Then his body seemed to be on autopilot as he slapped Bill's hand away and steps back with the journals held tightly against his chest. A glare was plastered on Dipper's face with very sudden, extreme contempt throwing off the puzzled demon.

"Forget it," Dipper growls in a slightly gravel tone, "there's no way you're taking Ford's journals!"

Bill's wide confused eye narrows in anger. His once yellow triangular body turns as red as spicy cheetos to match his emotions. "YOU'VE JUST MADE A **BIG MISTAKE**!" He boomed in his demonic voice.

Dipper remain undeterred by the outburst, "I don't care! You're not getting your godforsaken hands on Stanford's work." Dipper turns and sprints away.

Bill snapped his fingers so a hole appears in the dirt beneath Dipper's foot causing it to twist painfully as he stumbled and fell with a yelp. Moaning and whimpering, Dipper lets go of the journals to clutch onto his aching foot. However, that only allowed Bill the opportunity to take the journals and burn them right in front of the helpless human child.

Dipper was speechless. Journal 3 had been his most prized possession the entire summer, and now it lays in ashes with its predecessors, journal 1 and journal 2, within the earth scattered by the blowing wind. A single tear fell from his brown eye at having to witness the object he was most attached to be disintegrated by an evil anthropomorphic pyramid. The determination and bravery he felt just mere seconds ago quickly ebbed away, replacing it with panic and fear, accelerating his heart rate and breathing patterns.

"YOU KNOW WHAT," Bill says as he floats up into the air again, "SINCE YOU ARE INJURED, AND I'M SUCH A NICE GUY, I'LL GIVE YOU A FOUR SECOND HEAD START TO RUN BEFORE I LET 8-BALL AND TEETH EAT YOU."

Bill started counting down. Dipper hastily stood up fastens the backpack on his shoulders and limps as far as he could from the demon and company.

Dipper could hear Bill commanding the two demons he mentioned a moment ago to follow him in pursuit. The human risked taking a look over his shoulder and saw what was expected. The yellow creature with 8-balls for eyes and the dentures with arms and legs dashing towards him.

With his quick thinking, Dipper takes out a little container from his vest pocket opens the lid and tosses pink glitter at the two monsters, blinding one while distracting the other with its foul artificial taste of strawberry. This bought Dipper the desired amount of time for him to head into the forest. He had a mental map of all the hiding places he knew were in his current area, some of his adventures required a _lot_ of hiding sometimes, calculating the best option closest to him, which is ten paces to the left, the boy figures the hollow tree would be good enough for him to hide in.

After climbing into the empty space inside the tree, Dipper held onto the backpack in his arm with his back pressed against the inners of the tree. His heart pounded against his ribcage anxiously as 8-Ball and Teeth's resounding footsteps came nearer and nearer. The boy presses himself further into the tree as he hears them stop just outside of his hiding place. Cautiously, he peeps out of the opening of the tree to observe the monsters Bill had sent after him. They had their backs facing him as they started conversing with each other.

"I think he went this way," 8-Ball said pointing in the direction to the left of Dipper's point of view.

"No, no, no," Teeth said disapprovingly, "he went _that_ way." the dentures with limbs pointed at a far distance away from the tree and then down on the ground. "See this footprint?"

8-Ball crosses his arms over his chest, "That's a leaf," he sighs in exasperation.

Teeth did a double take before leaning closer to the leaf. 8-Balls gives another sigh. "I told you you need glasses."

"Do not!" Teeth scoffs, then the two creatures got into an argument that anyone else would have thought of it as ludicrous if was told about.

Dipper had to bite his lip to prevent any noise of laughter from escaping. The image of a pair of teeth with glasses was humorous to him. Stan would love to hear that idea for a new attraction. The corners of the boy's mouth that had been quirked up into a smile a second ago fell at remembering that Grunkle Stan was dead. He was dead for real. No tricks, no schemes. He didn't cheat death. For all Dipper knew, Mabel could have died again and death, Bill, had cheated Stan.

The front teeth on the young Pines' lower lip dug deeper into the soft skin as his mood changed from, somewhat, happy at the scene from outside to depressed again. Dipper tried to will it away and keep himself focused on what the two creatures outside his tree would do next but it was hard to do so. The thoughts about Stan, Mabel and Ford blocked out the real world like the blinds of a window and threatens to pull him in farther into his mind and loose his sanity.

He didn't catch anything of what Teeth and 8-Ball had said or done, but eventually the two had decided to call it quits on finding Dipper and left the forest.

Dipper releases the breath he had been holding and exhales in relief. He was safe in here. He can finally relax, and he does so. Leaning back against the tree, Dipper can feel exhaustion creeping up on him. He was tired, both mentally and physically. He hiccupped but he had no spare energy to cry or enough water in his system to produce tears. His mouth was dry to the point where it felt like the texture was close to sand paper. Good thing he came prepared.

Dipper takes out a water bottle from his backpack and takes a long sip out of it. By the time he put his water back in his bag, the adrenaline had worn off and Dipper's eyelids felt unnaturally heavy. With his head leaning to the side, the boy thought that he can rest his eyes for moment or two.

Dipper falls asleep the second his eyelids closed inside the hollow tree within the forest. He never felt the stare of a spirit standing next to his hiding place nor did he hear the encouraging words that would have had a 50/50 chance of either worsening or helping the boy's current situation.

The gold spirit reaches a hand over to ruffle the hatless brown curls and wished Dipper good luck before turning to walk away.

 _With Bill_

"YOU LET HIM ESCAPE!?" Bill yells at 8-Ball and Teeth, whom were covered head to toe in shiny pink glitter. They flinched at the high volume of their lord's tone.

"But-you don't understand-" 8-Ball's sentence was cut off by the dream demon.

"OH, I UNDERSTAND ALRIGHT. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU TWO ARE INCAPABLE OF CAPTURING A SINGLE HUMAN CHILD!"

Teeth and 8-Ball shared a quizzical glance at each other before turning back to Bill with Teeth stuttering, "But...you told us to eat him not-not capture him."

"IT WAS A CODE!" Bill bursts into flames at his overflowing anger. "SERIOUSLY! DOESN'T ANYONE READ THE CODES AND MESSAGES I MADE UP FOR WEIRDMAGEDDON?" the triangle asked as he pulled out a giant orange book out of nowhere entitled, _Bill Cipher's List of Codes and Procedures, Specifically, for Weirdmageddon Written and Illustrated by William A. Cipher._

8-Ball and Teeth shook their heads. Bill slaps the space between his eye and top hat in exasperation. "OH FOR THE LOVE OF-"

"But Bill-" Teeth tried but was interrupted by the said demon overlord.

" **NO**! NO MORE BUTS. FIRST OFF, _YOU_ DON'T HAVE ONE," Bill pointed at Teeth whose shoulders slumped in dejection. "AND SECOND OF ALL, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE EXCUSES. " _OH_ _BUT BILLLL, THE_ _GLITTER IS IN PLACES I CAN ONLY SEE WITH A MIRROR.'"_ Bill mocked. "WELL GUESS WHAT? WE ALL HAVE BAGGAGE WE HAVE TO CARRY AROUND. NOW GO HOSE ALL THAT GLITTER OFF. ITS HURTING MY EYE JUST LOOKING AT YOU TWO."

With that the two freaks ran off before they could make Bill even more steamed than he already was. Bill turns around and flies up towards the glassless window of the Fearamid that overlooked Gravity Falls. He scanned the town for the longest time looking for the one person that would probably never show up in view until he's decided he's had enough and looks away. As cliché as that thought sounded to Bill, it has happened on multiple occasions and Bill should know. He is the All-Seeing-Eye after all. However, after coming to the third dimension and obtaining a physical form he's basically lost the privilege to spy on the humans from his viewing-orb in his own dimension. Bill thought it would be worth it when he took over the planet with his Nightmare Realm's weirdness and horrors, yet the frustration gnawed at his insides that the only means of surveillance he had now were the Eye-bats and this window. He didn't want other's to look for his target for him. Especially _this_ particular target he had in mind.

Pyronica had noticed how Bill stiffly looked over the entire town. She excused herself from the group she was with and went to see what was wrong. Bill was never quiet for this long before, at least not from a time she could remember, but it was unsettling. The pink succubus flew up beside the yellow demon.

"Is something wrong Bill?" Pyronica asks with concern.

"NO," Bill says flatly, not even giving her a glance. He only replied to acknowledge that he had heard her. Pyronica attempted to wrap an arm around Bill only for the dream demon to jerk away at the last second, still looking at the ground outside. Pyronica huffs. He always avoided her advances. He says he just wasn't interested in her but lately it seems there's a tree in the pathway blocking her from her leader; a _Pine Tree_ to be exact.

"Bill," Pyronica says calmly, "you need to relax. We won. This planet is ours for the taking and yet you're here doing nothing except looking out a window. You should celebrate with the rest of us. Have a drink, play spin that human."

"LATER." A short silence, aside from the blaring music in the background the party-goers doing their thing at the moment, past with Pyronica watching Bill observing the outside.

Pyronica crosses her arms over her chest as she said, "Why did you even want him as your second in command?"

For the first time since the succubus came up to him, Bill turns to look at her.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"What I mean is," an aggravating expression took over Pyronica's features, "that boy is a child. A human child. There is nothing significant about him! And yet you said you wanted him as your second in command? He's not even a freak of nature, he's completely normal! Why, pray tell, would you even consider a stupid human-"

"HE'S NOT STUPID." Bill narrows his eye at her but she continued.

"-to be given such a rank that should be reserved for the real freaks here, me to be precise."

Bill suppresses an eye roll just so it wouldn't add on ten more minutes to the female's rant. But the more she talked the more he felt like punching her in the face when she went on about how 'undeserving' and 'unworthy' Dipper was to be amongst them. He didn't know why but Bill felt this insane protectiveness over Pine Tree's namesake. Was it his respect for the pre-teen that had caused it?

"And ever since you've made contact with that boy you've been obsessed with him ever since. What's up with that?" Pyronica had finished and Bill, miraculously, had withheld his anger at the succubus long enough for him to collect himself.

"YOU DON'T GET IT PYRONICA. ALL OF THE OTHER HUMANS THAT I'VE MADE DEALS WITH WERE EASY. BUT THIS ONE, THIS ONE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL. HE'S A CHALLENGE. I'LL ADMIT, I WAS FRUSTRATED AT FIRST AFTER OUR FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH EACH OTHER, AND YET, HE'S GOT ABILITIES AND TALENTS OF AN INDIVIDUAL THAT I WANT ON MY SIDE. YOU DIDN'T SEE INTO PINE TREE'S MIND. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S CAPABLE OF DOING. NOW WILL YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?"

Both demons' eyes locked in a glare. They held onto the connection, never blinking, as if in an unofficial staring contest (although it seems more like a glaring contest) until Pyronica gave up with a huff and leaves her leader to himself. Bill turns back to facing the town. He's an eternal being who will live until the end of time and yet it feels like his minions, especially Pyronica, were going to be the death of him.

Suddenly, Bill spies something within the edge of the forest. It wasn't Pine Tree but there is still something that needs to clarification with that pawn. Bill held his hand out so a dark aura surrounded his target and brings them up to the Fearymid. The triangle asks, "AND WHERE DO YOU THINK _YOU'RE_ GOING?"

The gold energy being, that had the silhouette of a male adolescent with a broad torso, struggled to free himself from Bill's grasp but it was no use. He stops and looks at the dream demon. Despite, seemingly, having no face one could tell the being's gaze was filled with hate and contempt towards Bill.

"WE NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE 'DISCUSSION' ABOUT YOUR LITTLE _STUNT_ FROM EARLIER," a clap of thunder snapped across the red sky adding effect and making Bill's statement more menacing than it would have been without it. "WHOA, TALK ABOUT DRAMATIC. AM I RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S JUST-THAT'S JUST GOOD TIMING RIGHT THERE. IT WASN'T EVEN PLANNED, IT JUST HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER I STOPPED TALKING! WEIRD, HUH?"

The energy being crossed his arms over his chest, completely unimpressed.

"WELL WHAT DO YOU KNOW," Bill retorts. "EH, DOESN'T MATTER! I'LL GET WHAT I WANT EVENTUALLY." The energy being looked panicked and tried to struggle out of the demon's hold only causing the triangle to laugh maniacally.


	4. Chapter 4

For almost three days Bill has interrogated and tortured the energy spirit of a pawn. Whilst he did get the information he wanted out of the soul, the truth wasn't good enough for him. The dream demon had partially hoped the intel he got out of his pawn was just a lie and there was something else, something more rich and delectable than what he was given. But that wasn't the case here. The truth was told and Bill didn't like it.

For half of that week Bill had the energy being contained and bound within a force field bubble with his limbs restricted by chains made from his prison. He would often pull and tug at his confinements in a poor attempt to escape. His stubbornness, at most times, had him struggling for long periods of time before Bill would either zap him or put him to sleep for six hours. He was worried and running out of time. He knew he shouldn't have interfered while Bill was making an important deal but he couldn't just sit back and watch that dumb triangle half-lie to a nearly broken kid. It wouldn't have felt right if he had let the scene play through in the act of false hope. Plus, it wasn't a part of their deal. Bill was supposed to leave the Pines family alone, at least for the most part, during Weirdmageddon. How stupid was he?

The energy being started struggling again after awaking up from another wasted six hours of a blank state of mind when he should have been carrying out his part of the contract. Bill notices the awakening and turns to the prison bubble that hung from the left of his throne.

"YOU KNOW, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE IN THERE IF YOU HAD JUST DONE WHAT YOU WERE TO-LD," Bill had tsk his prisoner, dragging out the last word of his sentence in a teasing manner.

The soul had whipped his head towards the triangle in fury. From the limited movements, it looked like he was trying to yell at the demon overlord yet no voice could be heard from him. However, Bill seemed to understand him loud and clear as if he was indeed talking.

"THAT WAS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS," retorted Bill.

More movements, and they were frantic like the spirit was flat out screaming at Bill.

"WELL," Bill said nonchalantly, "THAT'S YOUR FAULT, NOW ISN'T IT?"

Cypher snapped his fingers and the prison dissipated into thin air. Not expecting to be released, the soul had fallen just short from the stone ground right as he regained concentration to fly. Recapturing his confidence, he, assumingly, glares at the smug looking triangle. He swore, if that pyramid had a face...

"NOW, BECAUSE OF THAT 'INCIDENT' THE OTHER DAY," Bill went on, "INSTEAD OF THE 75 HOURS LIKE WE AGREED ON, YOU HAVE TWO HOURS TO FULFILL YOUR WISH. OTHERWISE YOU'LL BE STUCK IN 1971 WITH NO ONE TO HELP BRING YOU BACK." A portal materialized with a wave of Bill's hand. A timer was attached to the top of the portal that set itself to two hours before counting down. "HURRRYY~THE CLOCK'S A-TICKING..."

The spirit clenches his hands into fists in frustration. That demon was really getting on his nerves.

Without another response, the energy being dove right into the portal which shrunk to prevent anyone, or thing, else in after him.

"Bill," 8-Ball called to his leader with Teeth at his side.

Bill looks at them with a narrow, slit-pupil eye. "Yes?" He said in a polite yet uncaring way.

"Aren't you worried about that Pines kid we lost?"

"NO," Just disappointed, Bill was quick to say but had stopped himself from completing that thought out loud.

"Aren't you worried he'll cause trouble?"

"Yeah," Teeth added, "trouble with Stan's or Mabel's bubbles?"

Then Bill's expression changed from monotone to nonchalant in an instant, "HA, I'M NOT WORRIED. I'VE GOT SOMEONE ON THE CAS-" the triangle stops short of his sentences when the timer above the portal stops just before the spirit came back with a big burlap sack over his left shoulder held by both of his hands. Bill looked genuinely shocked at seeing this. "O-KAAAY...UH...YOU MAY GO?"

The gold energy being gave a single nod of understanding. He made his move to leave when his gaze fell on what-or _who_ \- was in Bill's hand. Stanford Pines, solid gold in a petrified frozen state of surprise. The gold energy being's body language took that of alertness and reaches out with his left hand only to be halted by the end of Bill's cane poking into his barrel chest.

"I SAID, "YOU MAY GO"," Bill repeated in a low dangerous tone.

Even though he didn't want to, the soul knew he couldn't risk anything at the moment. So he complied and left. but not without one last sympathetic look at the scientist. He stayed for two seconds too long and was eventually shooed by the demon overlord.

Bill looks off into the distance and then up at the timer above the still open portal he had neglected to close. "FIVE MINTUES." The pyramid breathed in disbelief, even though it would have seemed impossible since on first impression he had no mouth as far as anyone could see. "FIVE MINUTES...HOW COULD HAVE FOUND COULD HE HAVE FOUND IT IN FIVE MINUTES? IT'S LIKE HE KNEW WHERE TO LOOK. IT'S LIKE-" then the demon came to a conclusion, "WAIT A SECOND?! WHO RATTED ME OUT OF THE HIDING PLACE!? WAS IT YOU KEYHOLE? HECTORGON? OR _YOU_ PYRONICA?"

Everybody acted suspiciously casual like they knew something that Bill didn't know, by looking around, whistling and/or humming a little tune to themselves. The guilty party amongst them well hidden within the poor execution of casualness and could never be found unless they or someone else squealed.

Bill growls in frustration.

They are all idiots. _OH WELL,_ Bill thought to himself, _AT LEAST I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT TIME BABY FOR A LONG WHILE._

 _With Di_ _pper_

Dipper belches after a swig of his soda. However, it wasn't as loud and mighty as the boy had hoped it would have been. Instead, it small, light and short; like that of a baby burp. Dipper blushes profoundly as Wendy snickers next to him.

" **Hey** ," Wendy belched out and continues, "don't worry, man. Sometimes you'll get it, sometimes you won't."

"But why did it have to sound like it came from an infant?" Dipper pulls his hat over his face in shame.

Wendy shrugs, "I dunno."

Dipper raises his hat from his eyes and looks over the chaotic scenery of Weirdmageddon. Monsters of all shapes, sizes and varieties roamed the entire town. Devouring whatever they found appetizing or just curious about the taste of a certain object. So far, none of those creatures that have tested different flavors have thrown up from doing that, much to Wendy's and Dipper's disappointment.

He had spent the night inside of that hollow tree in the forest, successfully hidden the whole time with, miraculously, only a couple of ant bites as a result. Dipper had ended up eating his rations faster then what he would have preferred with only a can of peaches and one canned meat left in his backpack, but the Pines boy couldn't help himself; he was starving, he didn't know the last time he even ate that wasn't a snack on the hike to the alien spaceship with Great Uncle Ford. The temptation was too great and thus he was low on supplies on day two. The difficulty meter rose every time Dipper had to run and dodge out of sight from the eyebats, that he had a suspicion were specifically looking for _him_ , and other monsters that would see him as a potential snack only worsened his will power to preserve the last quarter of his bottled water.

During his evasion/scouring around the town, Dipper had barely escaped the scary yet polite one-armed monster by squeezing himself through the barricaded mall entrance. It was unnerving walking through a trashed abandoned mall as he called out to his sister. He was so used to the bustling, impatient customers of all ages rushing from store to store for the latest sales to teenagers and such hanging around in the food court. Everything was dead now. The vivacious energy felt during a normal day at the mall had long gone dropped dead.

It was in the food court where Dipper met up with Wendy, and Toby Determined, after the redhead's nacho trap didn't work for him. Really, it was a pretty obvious trap but Dipper had to admit that if he, albeit hungry, hadn't anything else to eat since Weirdmageddon started he probably would have fallen for it. However, closer examination and focus on the sense of touch, the rope underneath his feet was really hidden in plain sight. Yet Dipper praised Wendy's work and the idea of manipulating on a potential prey's hunger.

"It would have worked on if I haven't already eaten some canned meat and peaches," Dipper told her after she led him to her hideout in the already disastrous store, Edgy on Purpose, which actually looked better in the apocalypse scenario.

"You have peaches!" Wendy perked up. "Gimme!"

Dipper handed it over with a grin full of mirth.

As Wendy ate the peaches with the plastic spoon Dipper gave her, she began explaining what happened to her and the others when Weirdmageddon started up. Dipper imitated her by eating his last can of meat. He explained everything that happened. The alien spaceship (he jokingly specified that it was space aliens and not illegal aliens just to bring a laugh out of Wendy); Ford's offered apprenticeship; Mabel running away and dying; Stan trading his own life to bring back Mabel. He didn't tell Wendy about Bill wanting to take him under his wing because even now Dipper's not so sure what to think about it. Dipper honestly doesn't see himself as anything special. Mabel was always the interesting twin while he was-well-boring.

Dipper sighs, pulling a knee up to his chest as he gazes off into the distance. Why did all of this have to happen? Where was Mabel? How would he even be able to defeat Bill and free Great Uncle Ford? And why did Stan have to leave? Surely there could have been another solution to the situation.

Wendy spots the long look on Dipper's face, "You thinking about Stan again?"

Dipper nods slowly against his left knee. Mabel's sweater was tied around his front like it had been on day one of the apocalypse.

"Yeah, I miss him too," Wendy says quietly. "I just...never expected Stan to go. I mean, I know he's old, but he's stubborn times infinity with a heart stronger than an oak tree. And at the hands of a demon overlord? That's just messed up."

"You're telling me," mumbles Dipper. There was a short pause before the brunette turns his head towards the teenager, "Wendy?"

"Hm?"

"There's something I have to tell you," Dipper says hesitantly.

Wendy looks back at him, "Ok, shoot. Whatever it is, you have my undivided attention."

Dipper bites into his lower lip breaking eye contact with young lumberjack, unsure of how he should word his thoughts. "You see, after Ford was turned into an Old Goldie replacement..." the boy averts his eyes at the redhead who gives him the go ahead to continue. "Well...Bill was talking to me and, you remember how I described him from my first encounter with him right? Well, this is where it gets weird, he acted the exact opposite when he asked me to become his second in command."

Wendy's eyes widened. "Whoa, really?"

Dipper nods in almost shame. "And you know what's scary? I actually started believing and trusting his persuasive manner. He had seemed like he really did care about me. But after what I think were last minute seconds thoughts when I refused his offer he made my twist by ankle and burned the journals, all three of them."

Sympathy washed over Wendy at the news like sad, sluggish ocean waves as she shook her head slowly, "Oh dude, I'm sorry. I know how attached you were to your uncle's journals."

"It's okay I guess," Dipper shrugs. "Books can be outdated. It's Ford I really need. We need to get him back somehow. I just don't know how right now."

Wendy nods in understatement. "Hey, what did you mean you 'think' you had second thoughts?"

Dipper takes that into consideration, scratching the side of his head as he thought.

"I-don't really know," he says, "it's just-in the heat of the moment, I genuinely wanted, needed, Bill to help me. But before I could even touch his hand it felt like someone else had taken control of my actions, even my speech! It would have been, should have been, frightening. But whatever it was, it make me feel confidence, like I had little to fear about. Except it left shortly after I twisted my ankle and the journals were destroyed. Leaving me to feel alone, helpless and sad."

Wendy pats his back comfortingly. "Hey, the important thing is you got away from those whackjobs and you found me here."

"Yeah, you're right." Dipper gives Wendy a small smile.

The redhead hugs the pre-teen with one arm, rubbing his arm like she had to do in those rare moments of vulnerability with her younger brothers. It was a soothing act and Dipper laid his head on Wendy's shoulder.

"Y'know," the female lumberjack started, "your the little brother I've always wanted. Aside from the whole 'crush on me' for half of the summer."

"Is that so?" Dipper asked curiously as he basked in his contact with Wendy.

"Yeah. I mean, I love my brothers, but they can be real meatheads sometimes. I just want a sibling with enough sense to think before jumping into the bottomless pit."

Dipper laughs.

The door handle from the only entrance to the roof suddenly began to jiggle. Wendy Jumps up in high alert bow and arrow at the ready for any intruders that could be behind that door. And just when the door cracks open, she pulls the arrow back and sends it flying towards her target.

"Hey Wend-ah!" Toby ducks out of the way of the arrow that slightly grazed his hair.

Wendy growls, "Toby! What do you want?"

"Oh, did I just ruin a moment?" Dipper and Wendy nod their heads. The ugly journalist held his hands up in defense from the glares, "Apologies. I'll just go look for the lotion myself." Toby leaves the roof and re-enters the mall, leaving Wendy and Dipper alone once again.

"I don't even want to know what he's going to do with that lotion," Dipper cringes. Wendy agrees with a mirrored expression.

"Hey," Wendy squints to see in the far off distance, "isn't that the bubble you told me that took Stan? Or his body at least?"

Dipper stood up leaning against the ledge of the rooftop, "Yeah, it is. Although, now that I think about it, it's perplexing why Bill would even lock up Stan's body. He's gone right? So what's the use in saving the vessel?"

"Gee, I don't know, " Wendy shrugs. "Sentimental value?"

"Or trophy wise." Dipper grumbles.

Properly sitting himself down with his feet dangling over the edge, he takes out Mabel's MP3 player to listen more to the white metal* his sister had inexplicably replaced most of the Sev'ral Timez song that used to be on there. At first he was extremely puzzled by his twin's preference but after really listening to the lyrics and the rhythms of the tracks it gave Dipper a feeling of enlightenment. Eighty-eight percent of the messages were words of encouragement to him during the past three days of Weirdmageddon and that was when he realized why Mabel had liked this band so much. However, one question still lingers in his head: why did Mabel keep it from him?

Wendy said nothing more as another silence fell between them. Whenever Dipper pulled out that pink MP3 player she knew that was the time to give him some space and collect himself before he could speak again. Toby made the mistake of disturbing Dipper the day before and needed another arrow to be yanked out of his right shoulder, the first time was her fault but it was totally understandable misconception of mistaking him for a monster and the journalist held no ill will towards her.

Although, as she worried for Dipper's mental health her mind began to wander. The redhead wondered if her dad and brothers were alright. She hasn't seen them in what seems like forever. Sure her lumberjack family drove her bonkers most times but she still loves them.

As the boy tried to come up with theories and reasons why his sister would secretly listen to white metal, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. As if on instinct, he stood up on the ledge in an attempt to get a better look at the gold, humanoid silhouette in the sky. Except when he did this he forgot his ankle was still hurt, he lost his footing and began to plummet down to the ground below.

"Dipper!"

The said boy heard Wendy yell, yet he could have sworn he heard another voice yell with her, but it was hard to tell with the air whipping past his ears. He didn't scream, too shocked to even breathe. Time seemed to go in slow motion as light-headedness overcame Dipper as his life flashed before his eyes, his entire childhood with Mabel. He remembers the good and the bad times. Picture day; Valentine's Day, both of those weren't on the top of Dipper's list of favored memories, and he knew it was at the bottom of Mabel's also, but those days were made bearable because they had each other. Everything rushed and raced through his mind to find a non-existent finish line.

The entire summer replays in his mind. Everything they've encounter in their mystery hunts, he recalls. Gnomes; the Gobblewonker; dinosaurs; Gideon; zombies; the Shapeshifter; the portal; Ford; Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons characters coming to life; and then there's three days ago. The alien spaceship he and Ford ventured out to while Mabel stayed to plan their birthday party only to experience the worse day of her life. All of Dipper's memories led up from Stan's death negotiation with Bill and all way to him falling off the ledge of the mall building.

It seemed this was the end of him. And wherever Mabel was, he hoped she was safe and, somehow, happy.

Slowly, he lets his eyes close shut as he slipped into darkness.

 _ ***White metal is another term for Christian metal music; Skillet is an example of a white metal band.**_


	5. Chapter 5

"Dipper!"

Wendy had shouted from watching Dipper fall off the building. She had made a grab for the boy's hand but was just an inch too far.

In an instant, the lumberjack girl ran to the corner of the roof moves to hang herself on the edge so she could quickly climb down the drainage pipe on the side of the building. She could have taken the stairs but that would take too long. Dipper could be seriously injured or even worse. And she couldn't stand the thought of what could happen to her friend in the few extra seconds with him out in the open in the middle of the apocalypse.

When she leaped the rest of the way to the ground, Wendy looks towards the sidewalk Dipper had been falling to. . .only to see that he wasn't there. Confusion and fear seeped into her heart.

 _What happened to him_ , she asked herself.

He had just fallen. There were no monsters that she was aware of near the mall that could have snatched him. Unless the monster was super stealthy, Wendy doubted that that was the answer. Which only brings her back to the question, what happened to Dipper?

An eyebat came around the other side of the building surveying the area as it did so. Wendy quickly dashes into an alleyway and hides behind a trash can just as the eyebat scanned past her continuing its duties elsewhere as it remained oblivious to her presence at the side of the mall building. Wendy lets out a sigh of relief.

"Psst," someone had hissed farther down inside of the alleyway, nearly startling Wendy. She whips her head around. She didn't see anyone-or anything-and felt a little uneasy without the knowledge if it's a human or a monster trying to trick her.

Then the knocking behind the dumpster came.

Thunk, thunk, thunk...thunk.

Thunk, thunk, thunk...thunk.

Thunk, thunk, thunk...thunk.

Wendy tilts her head in confusion. That sounded like one of Stan's secret knocks he tried to teach her and Soos for protocols but it never stuck with her as much as it did with the handy man so she wasn't so sure if the knocks had any similarities. The fact that it was q knock with a rhythm had brought her thoughts over her former boss.

With her guard up and crossbow at the ready, Wendy cautiously tiptoes over to the smelly dumpster. Once she could see behind the dumpster her hard focused stared softens when the ginger saw a guy around her age, possibly older, with a very much alive Dipper in his strong arms. A mop of brown hair like Dipper's but straight hide his face as he look over the boy with one hand resting on the injured ankle.

Wendy felt a massive wave of relief that Dipper was okay. She puts down her weapon and kneels next to the mysterious teen. It was only then he decided to look up at Wendy and when he did her eyes widen in surprise. He was attractive and well built but she had this nagging feeling that she knows him. The lumberjack racked her brain to find any memories of him but couldn't.

"You're lucky I caught him when I did," he whispered, in a slight Jersey accent, so as not to wake the sleeping child in his arms. "Otherwise he woulda been a goner."

"Y-yeah," Wendy stammers for a second, clearing her throat to compose herself, "thanks for saving my friend."

"Don' mention it," the brunette gently lifts Dipper up and hands him to Wendy. "Get him back inside. He should wake up soon, and when he does he won't remember anything that's happened. Don't even _tell_ him what happened. Jus' go back to roof where the both of ya were before. The last thing I need is his curiosity spikin' up again." He grumbled the last sentence of his explanation in a gravelly voice that reminded Wendy even more of Stan. "Now go, its not safe out here."

He starts to get up but Wendy stops him by grabbing his large hand, "Wait! Who are you, exactly?"

The handsome teen stares at her for a moment before cryptically saying, "Just a dead heart frozen in time."

Wendy scrunches her eyebrows together. That didn't make any sense to her. Before she could question its meaning the monstrosity with one arm was dragging itself through the streets in view from the alleyway.

The muscled teen practically dragged the redhead to her feet and shoves her and Dipper towards the back door of the mall. "I'll distract it. Go! Now!" He opens the door quickly trying to urge her inside.

"But-but..."

"I said NOW!" He yelled. He definitely is like Stan. Wendy complies and rushes inside.

The brown haired teen looks back at the monstrosity in the street, runs out of the alleyway and in front of the monster.

"Hey ugly! Over here!" He yells, waving his arms around frantically.

"Huh, ugly? Now that's just mean," the monstrosity sounded genuinely hurt. "I'll have to show you for being a bully."

The teen wasted no time and charged right at the monster. He leaps five feet into the air changes into the golden energy being and phases right through the one-armed monstrosity that wraps its single arm around itself to stop the violent shivers. "Cheesy bananas! That's cold!" the monster shrieked through chattering teeth.

The spirit flew out of the monster's sight around the block and back to the alleyway to pick up the burlap sack he left behind the dumpster. He goes back up into the sky and flies towards the edge of town where the fushia bubble with the town renowned fez on it. The energy being steps down onto the wooden walkway. Two body scanners stood beside the giant padlock, one was the physique of the energy being whilst the one next to it was in the shape of Bill Cipher.

The spirit turns around and presses his back against the human body shape. It glows white and the body recognition scanner disappears and the reappears after the energy being walks inside the bubble.

It was wastefully spacious inside the bubble. Stan's body lies inside a glass coffin on the far side of the prison. The spirit strode over to a work table in the middle of the room where he dumped everything from the sack. Multiple parts of a machine littered the tabletop. The spirit held a hand out and a red toolbox materializes out of thin air. He sets it down on the table and begins working on the project. Picking up parts and trying to remember which part went where.

For years he's studied the blueprints for the machine; he's memorized most of the instructions in building the dumb thing, but a refresher would have been great. Screwdriver in hand, he puts together the base for the machine and pieces the wiring into the right components. A few mistakes and blunders later, he manages to attach everything in the right place.

Wiping away imaginary perspiration, he decides to take a break. The energy being walks over to the glass coffin and conjures up a chair to seat himself in. He looks at the lifeless body of Stanley Pines resting within the cool casing. A timer in place of a lock was counting down from four hours and thirty minutes on the side of the metal frame.

The energy being was almost halfway done with the machine. He was certain that he could finish the machine before the hour number could turn to three. However, the tricky part was finding a safe place to keep the machine that wasn't too far of a distance for him and make it back in time to beat the countdown. He knew the entirety of Bill's plan, and he wasn't going to allow that triangle to use this vessel for such a heinous deed. Not to his family, not to the Pines family. Not now, not ever. He was going to stop him no matter what it took.

 _With Dipper_

A soft moan escapes past Dipper's lips as he slowly awoke from his slumber. Brown eyes open to look up at blood red sky.

"Well good morning sleeping beauty," Wendy greets him with smile.

He sits up rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Wha-what happened? When did I fall asleep?"

"Toby came up here," the redhead explains, "asking me to open a can of powdered sugar for him-don't ask why-and I foolishly had it pointing towards you. Turns out, it was sleeping powder not powdered sugar."

"Okaaay," Dipper dragged the word out with a quirked brow. He found it hard to believe but he bought it anyway, since Wendy wouldn't lie to him unless she had a very good reason to.

The Pines boy moves to stand up...and realizes the lack of pain in his foot. Dipper makes a confused sound and lifts his leg up to move his foot from side to side, flexing it and stretches to see if it'll hurt if doing so but none ever came.

"Hey, my ankle's healed," he says to Wendy, "but-how? It still hurt before I fell asleep."

Wendy shrugs nonchalantly, "Beats me."

A noise of destruction caught their attention. The both of them look back out into Weirdmageddon and said a giant monster eat a billboard, involuntarily revealing Mabel's bubble.

"That's the shooting star from Mabel's sweater," Dipper observed, "she's in there, I can feel it." Dipper stomps his left foot onto the ledge, a breeze blew against his hair in a dramatic effect. "We have to save her. I don't care what it take or what we have to do. I will stop at nothing until I have her back by my side."

There was a short pause filled with Dipper's confidence until Wendy brought him back to reality by saying, "Dude, you watch waaay too much TV."

 _With Bill_

Bill sat upon his throne of the stone imprisoned residents of Gravity Falls, tapping his fingers together in a rhythmic fashion that people have only seen contemplating villains do in movies. He thought with agitation for the past few hours. Seething at nothingness and everything because: number one, Pine Tree still hasn't been found yet. Number two, he has just discovered that there is a force field surrounding Gravity Falls, trapping Weirdmageddon and the Rift within the valley so they couldn't spread the weirdness to the rest of the world. And number three, where the flip was that drink he ordered an hour ago?!

Bored out of his mind, Bill tosses the petrified Ford Pines back and forth between his hands. He's already heard about the human-turned-spirit from Hectorgon who heard from Pyronica who heard from Pacifier who heard from Teeth who bumped into the One-Armed Monstrosity in the streets whom was still had cold tremors from having a ghost past right through him. Of course Bill knew the identity of the entity that pulled the attack. The demon overlord can understand screwing with people to let of some steam, and he would have allowed it, would have ignored the story, if it weren't for one little detail that bothered him greatly. The fact that his pawn could switch between a physical human form and to being of pure energy is extremely alarming. There was nothing in the contract that permits such an ability for the pawn to use. So how did he even obtain it?

One thing's for sure is every second his pawn remains a dreamscape spirit in the real world he grows more powerful. Bill himself grows in power too, but the three days the spirit's only had, most of that time's been inside his own prison, isn't anything compared to the millions of years Bill's had with working on his powers. The pawn has barely had any practice with his own powers. So the fast progression and ease of controlling his abilities, though he won't admit it out loud, is completely terrifying. A human soul could not begin to properly control the supernatural abilities of its own otherworldly being within such a short time. There's got to be something that Bill isn't being told. And whatever it is, he's going to find out what it is, one way or another.

"Hectorgon," Bill calls out of one of his underlings, "how much time is left?"

"Less than an hour Bill," red geometric shape with a mustache informed.

The yellow triangle's single crinkled in a way that would indicate a smile on his face, if he even had a mouth that is. "Exellent."

Bill keeps Ford in one hand just looking at the old man's frozen face. He couldn't wait to see Six-Finger's expression at the surprise he has in store for him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter update! So sorry for the wait, there was a huge writer's block that wouldn't seem to go away, Alex Hirsch, "Rick and Morty", a gigantic fanfiction project I'm working on with an anonymous user that I can't reveal about until I post the last chapter but it involves "Gravity Falls" so there's something to look out for. It happens. Chapters will be posted in shorter time gaps now since I've gotten over...the fact that..."Gravity Falls" is over... Well, Enjoy reading! P.S.S.A Now we'll know what lies inside the trench.**

The plan was simple. Head to Bud Gleeful's abandoned car dealership, jack one of the cars and use it to get to Mabel's bubble (because Dipper knew they didn't have much time before Bill decides to take the end of the world on a global scale) so they wouldn't have to go on foot to avoid the possibly of be eaten by something and to prevent any of them from becoming fatigued and using up all of their limited supplies. Just go in, take a car, get out and head off to save Mabel.

Sounds simple right?

Dipper thought so. It was a great plan...until Gideon appeared.

It was difficult comparing the amount of anger he felt from his last confrontation with Bill and looking at Mr. Can't-Take-A-Hint who is _still_ declaring his love for the female Pines, and that Bill supposedly said that they were meant to be together which only increases Dipper's rage.

Hanging by the back of his shirt from Ghost Eye's grip, Dipper pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Gideon, I don't have time for this! You don't know what Mabel and I have been through since Weirdmageddon started."

"Oh I know what she's been through alright," Gideon said with a glare of his own. "And Mabel's better off in the bubble where she's safe and sound and away from you!"

Dipper flinches from that, knowing that Gideon knew exactly what happened three days ago. "Bill told you. . .didn't he?" There was guilt evident in his tone that made Wendy want to punch the lights out of the country accented child for bringing that up.

"Of course," Gideon said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "In order to take better care of my sweet potata, I must know what troubles her. That trouble, right now, is _you_! Honestly, I was surprised. With how you've been trying to keep her to yourself and away from me all summer, you wanted her to go home without you while you stayed here in Gravity Falls to study anomalies?"

Gideon's prison buddies all booed at the Pines, a few throwing either trash or dirt at him for his poor choice in past actions. Ghost Eyes' grip on Dipper's collar got tighter with visible anger the boy could practically feel through the bunched up fabric on his back. Dipper didn't blame any of the them for hating him. He hated himself the second he saw that heartbroken look on her face before running out of their room in the attic, inadvertently taking the wrong backpack containing the Rift.

If he could do it all over again, Dipper would have rejected Ford's offered apprenticeship and prevented having to watch his sister run out into the forest in tears. Even if breaking her heart would, somehow, save Gravity Falls from Weirdmageddon he still wouldn't have done it just to keep their bond together, and they could face whatever forces came their way, side by side as the Mystery Twins.

Dipper's shoulders lax, relieving tension they held previously when Ghost Eyes had first grabbed him by his shirt but in a depressing manner. He bowed his head so the bill of his hat covered his face from plain sight so no one else could see the evidential shame on his face.

Wendy saw how crestfallen her friend became at the ridicule he received and instantly felt anger pouring into every fiber of her being. "This isn't going to work, Gideon." She seethes with clenched fists at her side.

"Oh, and how's that so?"

"Because once I break Ghost Eyes' arm and steal that key, I'm gonna wear your butt on my foot like a rhinestone slipper!" Wendy threatens.

"And what makes you think you can do all that?" Gideon taunted.

"Because I'm a flippin' Corduroy!" Dipper saw Wendy flip over Ghost Eyes and bent the large man's arm back in an unnatural angle, causing the former prisoner to cry out in pain.

Gideon called for Ghost Eyes in concern before he was picked up by the collar by Wendy as she ripped the key off the thin chain. Dipper got up from where he was dropped on the ground and wiped at his teary wet eyes, he follows Wendy as she used her elbow to shatter a window on the passenger's side to unlock the abandoned car from the inside.

"You'll never get away with this!" The faux psychic exclaimed in distress.

"Guess what? We already did!" Wendy drop kicked Gideon-whom shrieked like a cat-into the prisoners, knocking them all down like bowling pins during a strike.

Dipper and Wendy hurriedly headed into the car before the prisoners could recover and put on their seatbelts. "Wendy, you are the coolest person I know." Dipper's tone held admiration it was small compared to the several shades of melancholy it contained.

Wendy ruffles his hat for added affection she knew the boy needed at the moment, "I know dude. Tell me about it later."

 _With 25-12-14-20-19-4-12-7_

 _Two hours, twelve minutes and thirteen seconds,_ the timer read _._

The machine was almost finished and the gold energy being was beginning to feel anxious. He couldn't remember how the last two wires were supposed to be connected to which module, and it didn't help that they were the same red colors. Maybe they had a different shading but it was hard for him to tell even with the bright light emitting from the spherical walls within the bubble's workspace. The spirit so desperately wished that he had more interest in color than he ever had before.

Running a hand down his seemingly expressionless face in exasperation; he sighs. If spirits couldn't get tired, then he must have broke that unspoken rule because he felt like taking a thousand year nap. But he couldn't, not right now. Not when he's so close to fixing the darned thing. No breaks were allowed for himself, he's taken two already and he needs every second he could get in looking for a hiding place for machine. After twenty years one would think that he'd spend a large portion of that time thinking about it. That's another tally mark for the ditzy chart. But that didn't matter right now. He just needed to focus-if he could he would have snorted at the thought. He couldn't give up now. Failure wasn't an option to the spirit. The deal (which is technically invalid) had already been made, and he was going to finish it.

And when everything is done, Bill will be gone for good. Weirdmageddon will be over before anyone knew it and, he hoped, would be gone before the timer reaches zero. But, as he knows for certain, things never go as he had originally planned. Too many things could go wrong and the anxiety was getting to him. Thinking was never something he did for too long, but he got to thinking he went the extra mile with his paranoia, constant uncertainty and worrying.

Then he got to thinking, it would be too bad if he checked up on Dipper? The last time the kid almost died falling off the roof of the mall, which may partly be his fault for not concealing himself in the open, but he was a hundred yards away and Dipper just has a good eye: give him a break!

 _Two hours, six minutes and eighteen seconds._

What the hell, what's ten minutes off anyway? He can't focus at the moment anyways.

 _With Dipper_

Dipper and Wendy screamed in confounded horror after driving out of a madness bubble. Dipper didn't know what just happened but the bizarre and unwanted memory faded as a new obstacle in the road come up, a trench. There was no connection between them and the other side of the deep abyss of darkness.

So Wendy, with her lack of Driver's Ed, gave it all she's got and floored the gas petal. The car sped up and flew the ten and a half yards to the other side. However, only the front half of the vehicle actually touched ground. Dipper's heart stopped for a split second as he felt the car, barely balancing on the edge of the trench, starting to tip backwards.

No, no, no, no! This isn't supposed to happen, Dipper thought in a panic. They have to save Mabel, and they couldn't do that if died in an extreme car accident.

"Dipper-Dipper!" the boy could hear the hyperventilation in Wendy's voice, "We have to get out of the car now!" But Dipper didn't respond. He was in a frozen trance like state of fear. He didn't hear Wendy unbuckle her seatbelt or how she continuously shook Dipper to try and knock some sense into him because-honestly-he couldn't feel anything at the moment. The redhead's touch was completely numb to him, and so was the fear of not being able to save his sister. Dipper found it kind of funny. Whatever made him feel this way, it's like subconscious acceptance of death; it made him think of how patients were given laughing gas before having a tooth removed in the dentist office.

Wendy had given up at trying to shake Dipper out of his trance and settle for unbuckling him and reaches over to Dipper's side door to push him out. But when she outstretched her arm towards the passenger's side's door to unlock it and attempted to push him out only for her knee to slip off of the edge of her seat, causing her to hit the back of her chair with all of her weight on it. The car tipped farther back. Panicking, Wendy tried to put all of her weight and push at the steering wheel, but it was too late. The car leaned too far back to even it out, resembling an unbalanced scale until it finally caves in and tilts all the way to the side.

The blood curdling scream did not deter Dipper, however, the car stopping in mid-air did. The preteen became fully alert like he had just woken up from a nap that was rudely interrupted. The both of them were shocked at the sudden halt and looked out their windows to see a gigantic sea-green monster held onto their vehicle with a slimy purplish tentacle.

Dipper turns his head towards Wendy's side window when the car was pulled down to an iris-less, red pupil, light-green sclera eyeball the size of a kiddy pool peaked inside. From the limited view, the only thing about the monster that could be made out was it had scales a few shades darker than it's sclera, the other eye is no where to be found-if there _was_ another eye-and its bottom half of the titan creature seemed to be encased around a shroud of cyan colored toxic gas.

Not knowing where his sanity went at the moment, a wide-eyed Dipper reaches over Wendy to lock the door. The female lumberjack gave the boy a quizzical glare the Pines only shrugged sheepishly to.

"Better safe than sorry?"

"Gah!" Wendy yelps when they felt the car dipped lower into the trench. "Speaking of "safe than sorry"," she had her seatbelt on in a flash.

Dipper, unfortunately, wasn't fast enough with his own restraints for when the monster finally got bored with them it tossed them up in the air and out of the trench sending them high into the sky. Freezing cold fear ran through the boy's veins as they descended from the sky and his body floated above his seat as if he was in outer space. He tried to come up with options that could prevent too many injuries or broken bones when they make the impact. Because as simple as it sounded to force himself back into the seat and put on the seatbelt the malevolent hands of fear prevented him from doing so, keeping him towards the ceiling.

A memory then began to play itself within the male Pines' mind.

 _Flashback Initiated_

 _"Remember kids, if you're ever falling out of the sky in a moving vehicle firmly place your hands and feet on the ceiling and the cushion of the seat. And if you can, grab a hold of something for extra support. It helps if you have more than four limbs but oh well."_

 _"Grunkle Stan, why are you telling us this?" Dipper asks from the backseat next to Mabel who was munching on some gummy koalas._

 _"Never question wisdom, Dipper," Grunkle Stan took a hard left towards the Mystery Shack causing everyone to jerk within the El Diablo. "Never question wisdom. Because you never know when you may need to use it."_

 _Flashback Terminated_

After the flashback, whenever _that_ happened, ended Dipper instantly planted his feet firmly in to the car cushion and held on tightly to the back of the seat with one arm while the other had his hand pressed hard into the ceiling but on a second thought moved it to join his other arm to the head of rest of the seat. When the car made contact with the ground the boy used all of the strength he could muster in his little body and held onto the chair as the car tumbled and rolled on its side, jerking it's occupants within as if trying to toss them out.

 _It's all for Mabel,_ Dipper thought to himself in a mantra. _It's all for Mabel. It's all for Mabel. It's all for Mabel. It's all for Mabel. It's all for Mabel. It's all for Mabel!_

The mantra worked for the most part, up until the last tumble of the car Dipper lost his grip on the seat and was tossed out the door and onto the hard ground. The boy felt incredibly weak. His limbs were mere noodles, bruises and cuts littered every inch of bare skin visible, his head was cloudier than the sky on rainy day and everything ached in pain. Dipper's breathing was rapid with lungs desperate for air and ended up in a coughing fit from inhaling the dust settling in the air.

Water, he needed water. His throat was insanely dry and the dust he kept heaving in only made it worse. It was so hard breathe, for a split second, Dipper contemplated about stopping all together-then he reminded himself of why he was there and why for.

But-he felt so tired. So very, very tired. Sleeping for a millennium didn't seem too bad at the moment.

So tired.

So weak.

After his coughing fit ended Dipper's throat was as dry as the Sahara yet his brain begins shutting down all functions of his body to preserve as much energy as possible. Slowly, dull brown eyes closed as the Pines slipped into unconsciousness.


End file.
